Tech neck? Physiotherapist explains how it affects posture, suggests 3 exercises and the best tools for pain relief

Factors that can affect posture

1. The common problem known as text neck occurs when you look down at your phone, causing your neck to bend forward to support the weight of your head.
2. Common neck pain caused by sitting at a desk: Our body needs to move. When we look at screens for long periods of time, our body may begin to bend to accommodate.
3. how you sleep: When you sleep your body often remains in one position for a long period of time. It is generally best to sleep on your back or side, not your stomach. Using a cushion can help support the natural curve of your spine.
4. All that stress: Tense shoulders often cause neck pain. Yoga and meditation can help you relax.

Tech Neck: It’s more than just neck pain

Physiotherapist Dr. Priyal Merchant tells Health Shots, “Bad posture can lead to cervical headaches. Many people don’t realize that these headaches come from the neck. They often turn to medication or painkillers instead of addressing the real problem. Bad posture can also lead to upper crossed syndrome, a condition where the muscles in the upper back are weak and the muscles in the front of the torso are tight.”

Tech Neck Exercise: Twice a Day

The physiotherapist shares 3 exercises, as well as tools to do 10 times daily, holding each for 10 seconds.

1. Chin tuck

Place your fingers on your chin and move them back toward your spine. Chin tuck is an easy and effective exercise. It strengthens the deep muscles of the neck, helps correct “tech neck” or forward head posture, and reduces neck pain. The term may also refer to swallowing techniques that prevent food and liquids from entering the airway.

• Resistance Bands: To strengthen the deep neck flexors, use a resistance band. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, tie a band behind your head and hold the ends in front. Pull your chin straight back against the tension of the band, hold briefly, then release.
• Neck Harnesses: To strengthen neck muscles for sports or weightlifting, use a head harness. Secure it around your head, then attach it to a cable machine or weight plate. This allows controlled chin tuck and neck extension with resistance.
• Jawline Exercisers: These small silicone blocks are often used to reduce a double chin and define the jawline. You place them between your molars, bite down and hold to engage the muscles of the neck, cheeks and chin together.

2. Shoulder strengthening

Relax your shoulders. Then, pull them back, hold for a moment and then let them go. To strengthen your shoulders, focus on the three main parts of the deltoids: front, side, and back. Also include exercises for the rotator cuff. The main exercises are overhead presses, lateral raises, and rear delt flyes. Use dumbbells, cables or resistance bands and gradually increase the weight as you get stronger.

• Resistance Bands: This tool is great for changing resistance levels easily. Use it to rotate the rotator cuff and raise the lateral side to promote stability.
• Dumbbells: The best tool for building your deltoid muscles, you can use dumbbells for exercises like standing presses, lateral raises, and reverse flyes.
• Over-the-Door Shoulder Pulley: Essential for physical therapy, frozen shoulder rehab, and improving range of motion (ROM).
• Plate-Loaded or Selective Machines: Gym essentials like the Hammer Strength Machine and Seated Shoulder Press help safely target the front and side shoulder muscles. These machines guide your activities for better results.

3. Stretch

Do the following three times, holding for 20 to 30 seconds each time. Stretching helps lengthen your muscles and tendons, improve flexibility, increase joint mobility, and reduce the risk of injury. You can do active movements, such as leg swings and arm bends, to warm up your muscles before exercising. After your workout, hold a stretch, such as a hamstring stretch, for 15 to 60 seconds to lengthen your muscles.

• Stretching straps: Great for wrapping around your legs to deepen your hamstrings and calves. You can also use it to stretch your shoulders and quads in hard to reach areas.
• Foam Rollers: This method is great for releasing muscle tension, relaxing soft tissues, and increasing movement in the spinal joints.
• Massage or acupressure balls: These are great for finding and relieving deep knots in your glutes, hips or back.
• Slant Board: A wedge-shaped move helps stretch your Achilles tendon and calves easily and effectively, while also improving your ankle balance.

stand straight

Place your right hand on your back so that your elbow forms a right angle. Pull your head to the left with your left hand. Then, do the same with your right side.

sit properly

When you sit at your desk, keep your neck straight, elbows close to your body and shoulders back. Make sure the top of your computer screen is at or just below eye level. “Don’t slouch, but don’t arch your back, either,” says Dr. Merchant. Your feet should be flat on the floor; Using a footrest can help keep them that way. Also, remember to take breaks. “Ideally you should get up every 30-40 minutes and move around the office a bit,” says Dr. Merchant.