Tech neck: tips to prevent and treat neck pain caused by cell phone use

Every generation has a illness associated with the habits they practice most frequently. If for years the first gamers were suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, now the disorder that most worries those included in the alpha generation is technical neck or “tech neck”.

It refers to the appearance of premature signs of aging in the lower back, due to the body posture most people adopt when looking at a mobile device. An involuntary movement that, on average, is completed between 100 and 150 times a day.

It all comes from tilting the neck down slightly in a long pose, which causes fine lines, creases, and sagging. It is then that the need for a specific treatment arises that helps minimize its effect.

When you bend over to look at your cell phone on public roads or on buses, furrows (known as necks of Venus) are produced and become more pronounced. And not only the posture affects, but also the blue light they emit devices and which damages the skin.

The main symptoms of technical neck consist of a muscle disorder It affects the spine and increases neck tension and stiffness in the shoulders. The curious thing is that it increases wrinkles, folds and sagging in one of the most delicate areas of the body.

Blue light has the ability to penetrate the skin, even further UV rays, creating free radicals and breaking down cellular structures. The most direct and visible consequence is that elasticity decreases and causes premature ageing.

According to several anatomy experts, the big impact occurs after adopting the same position often, repeatedly, because then the muscles are loaded. This constant incorrect posture is what ends up producing pain.

Over the years, like all bad posture, it can be turn something chronic and even, starting from a certain age, lead to bone deformities and joint pain.

It is often compared to the pain that students can have when preparing for exams and complaining that their neck hurts, or like those who spend eight hours a day in front of a screen which they approach every time and arch their necks. .

Tech neck: how to prevent neck pain using the cell phone

However, the problem is serious and cannot be solved with just a few massages. Because with the neck technique, the neck muscles — the trapezius — are stretched and weakened by disuse. A massage that targets sore muscles, what it will do is stretch them even more and aggravate the problem.

When you feel you are forcing your muscles, what you need to do is try to balance them. The weak muscle will need to be strengthened and the retracted muscle will need to be stretched. This is the first measure.

In terms of prevention, it would be necessary to look for the neutral position of the head to rest the muscles, and perform stretching exercises, stretching the shoulders backwards and bringing the chin towards the chest.

Also, it is important to position screen adapters, elevate tablets and cell phones so that they are at eye level. Although it is difficult, you must try not to lower your head while looking at these screens.