Person easing neck pain with a supportive neck product

Tech Neck: How Phones and Laptops Cause Neck Pain and How to Fix It

Short answer: "tech neck" is the neck, shoulder and upper back pain that comes from holding your head forward and down over a phone, tablet or laptop. Your head weighs roughly 10 to 12 pounds when balanced over your shoulders, and the load on the neck rises steeply the further forward it tilts. Mayo Clinic Health System and Cleveland Clinic recommend the same three fixes: bring the screen up to eye level, change position every 20 to 30 minutes, and strengthen the muscles that hold your head back. Most people feel a difference within a couple of weeks.

What are the symptoms of tech neck?

  • Aching or stiffness in the back of the neck and across the tops of the shoulders.
  • Tightness between the shoulder blades.
  • Headaches that start at the base of the skull.
  • Reduced ability to turn your head, for example when reversing the car.
  • Rounded shoulders and a chin that sits forward of the chest.

Why does looking down hurt my neck?

The muscles at the back of the neck act like cables holding up a weight. When your head is stacked over your shoulders, they do very little. Tilt the head forward and they have to work constantly to stop it dropping, for as long as you hold the position. Hours of that each day leaves them fatigued and tight, while the muscles at the front of the neck and the upper back weaken. Over time the posture becomes your default, even away from the screen.

How do I set up my screens to avoid tech neck?

  • Phone. Raise it toward eye level and look down with your eyes rather than your whole head. Rest your elbows on a table or against your body to make this comfortable.
  • Laptop. Put it on a stand or a stack of books so the top of the screen is at or just below eye level, and use a separate keyboard and mouse.
  • Monitor. About an arm's length away, top of the screen at eye level, directly in front of you.
  • Chair. Sit back with your lower back supported. A slight recline of 100 to 110 degrees takes load off the neck. See our guide to lower back pain from sitting.
  • Tablet and reading in bed. Prop the device on a stand or pillow in front of you rather than in your lap.

How often should I take a break from screens?

Every 20 to 30 minutes, even for 30 seconds. Look up, roll your shoulders back, turn your head gently side to side and stand if you can. Short, frequent breaks help more than one long one, because they interrupt the sustained load before the muscles fatigue.

Which exercises fix tech neck?

  • Chin tucks. Sit tall and draw your chin straight back, as if making a double chin, without tilting your head. Hold five seconds. Ten repetitions, two or three times a day. This is the single most useful exercise.
  • Shoulder blade squeezes. Pull shoulder blades back and down, hold five seconds, ten repetitions.
  • Doorway chest stretch. Forearms on the door frame, step through, hold 30 seconds.
  • Upper trapezius stretch. Tilt your ear toward your shoulder, keeping the opposite shoulder down. Hold 20 to 30 seconds each side.
  • Thoracic extension. Sitting in a chair with a mid-height back, clasp your hands behind your head and gently arch your upper back over the top of the chair. Five slow repetitions.

What helps tech neck pain right now?

  • Heat. A warm neck and shoulder wrap for 15 to 20 minutes relaxes tight muscles. See heat or ice for pain and our neck and shoulder relief range.
  • Massage. A neck and shoulder massager eases trigger points across the upper shoulders. Avoid massaging directly over the front or sides of the neck.
  • A posture reminder. Worn for short periods at the desk, a posture corrector can help you notice when you slump. Details in Do posture correctors work?
  • The right pillow. A neck that is strained all day needs a neutral position at night. Read about the best sleeping position for neck pain.

You can find all of these in our neck pain collection.

When should I see a doctor about neck pain?

See a doctor if neck pain spreads into an arm, if you have numbness, tingling or weakness in an arm or hand, if pain follows an accident, if you have frequent severe headaches, or if it has not improved after a few weeks of changing your setup and doing the exercises.

Key takeaways

  • Tech neck comes from holding the head forward and down for long periods.
  • Raise screens to eye level, including your phone.
  • Change position every 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Chin tucks, shoulder blade squeezes and chest stretches reverse the pattern.
  • Heat, massage and a supportive pillow ease symptoms while the habits change.

Sources

This article is general wellness information and is not medical advice. It does not replace an examination by a qualified healthcare professional. If your pain is severe, sudden or getting worse, please see a doctor.

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