What’s the Best Treatment for Tech Neck?

Changes in technology often require updates to ergonomics to counter the physical impact of using these technologies. Today’s digital screens on laptops, smartphones, and tablets cause a type of neck pain called tech neck. 

The neck pain specialists at Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management in Des Moines and West Des Moines, Iowa, can help if you’re suffering from the effects of tech neck. Clearing the problem may require changes to how you use your devices as well as medical care. 

Let’s look at why tiny digital screens cause such big problems, as well as examine the best treatment approaches. 

Upright posture

The human body is built around upright postures when we’re awake. While we have the capability for versatile movement, some positions should only be short-term or transitional. 

Tipping your head forward is one of these. When you sit or stand in an upright position with your eyes forward, the full weight of your head balances over your body. But the effective weight of your head increases as you tip it forward to view a digital screen. 

The further forward your head and neck move, the more force you place on muscles and soft tissues to support the head. You increase the load on your body by about 3-5 times the weight of your head, depending on the forward angle you use to read or work on your digital device. 

Your body has little trouble handling this force for a short time, but wear-and-tear on the structures of your cervical spine accumulates with extended use. 

What’s the best treatment for tech neck? 

Pain from tech neck may stem from ligament or tendon damage, muscle strain, nerve compression, or even herniated discs in the spine. The best treatment depends on the source of your pain. 

Chances are that the best solution for your neck pain is a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes. Once you understand the impact of head-forward postures, it may be easier to avoid the worst contributors to your tech neck problem. 

To reduce your tech neck symptoms, consider these strategies: 

• Move your device to eye level, rather than moving your eyes to device level
• Limit your device time
• Use timers to remind you to change positions every 20-30 minutes
• Avoid head-down typing by using voice-to-text
• Use stands and accessory keyboards to improve device ergonomics

When tech neck pain requires treatment, talk to us about pain management plans and additional therapies to address the underlying condition. We work through conservative treatments first, moving to more aggressive therapies only as needed. 

Contact Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management by phone or online today to schedule a tech neck exam.