During Covid-19, we have learned many things, many of us are working from home, or we spend time at home video chatting with family and friends, and this pandemic has made us rely on screens more than ever. Technology has grown, and so has our back pain. Nowadays, there are symptoms of ‘tech neck’ that are creeping up. Tech neck is a condition where your body position has your chin forward, your shoulders rounded forward, and your neck is flexed to look downward at your laptop or phone. Teck neck can become more severe if we spend more than enough time on screen. It leads to discomfort as it causes stress to the upper neck and the back area of the neck, which causes poor posture. Symptoms which are most common in today’s individual are as follows:
- Pain in the trapezius
- Neck and upper back pain and stiffness
- Headaches
- Muscle spasms
- Some people experience throbbing, stabbing, numbness, and aching.
How to get rid of tech neck?
This pandemic has caused doctors to notice the increasing symptoms of tech neck in patients. As the signs grow, it becomes more and more severe. It can take months to develop neck and upper back pain, and it can even take a long time to form good posture. Some doctors even agree that choosing a good and comfortable chair can also help you work on your computer. If you don’t take the proper precautions, the pain can increase, and it can cause physical tension to grow in the body.
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Design Your Workstation
Many offices, room tables, and sofas provide you comfort and good positioning of your body. You need to choose and be patient and think while creating your workstation to avoid and decrease injuries. So, doctors recommend that you need to change the workstation to prevent back injuries.
Pay Attention to Your Posture
When you work for long hours, your back tends to become numb, so doctors suggest that you should keep your shoulder against the end of the chair, and you can place your laptop on your lap. The leading cause of the tech neck is most people lean on their table to type.
Take Frequent Breaks
We know that work from home is not an easy task but taking frequent breaks is also necessary. Regular use of a laptop or smartphone can cause tech neck, so make sure to take reasonable amounts of holidays and do other activities to feel fresh. There is a saying, ‘motion is lotion,’ so the body’s frequent movement is beneficial. It keeps your mind fresh and also prevents muscles and joints from getting stiff. If you keep your neck in the same position for a long time, it can cause you pain and discomfort, which can become a severe health issue in life.
Seeing a Specialist for Tech Neck
Many therapeutic exercises for neck tech will help you strengthen your upper back, neck, and anterior shoulder. Chiropractic adjustments will help you stretch your muscles. It can help with the prolonged use of laptops and computers. Living a good lifestyle is the most effective way to treat this disorder.
Perform Neck Stretches
Doctors suggest you perform neck stretches to ease your neck pain. Long hours of sitting in front of the screen are the leading cause of neck pain because your neck is in the same position for a long time. So, try performing different stretches, like sit up straight and extend your arms, squeeze your shoulder blades together with your palms facing up over your head, keeping your chin over your head. Hold the position for 30 seconds, take deep breaths to stay calm, and repeat this three to four times. You can also think of performing scapula rows by stretching your neck.
Conclusion
Tech neck has become a common disorder in this pandemic as we sit at home in front of the screen for long hours, keeping our back and neck at the same position for a long time, which causes pain and discomfort. If we ignore our posture, it may cause us discomfort and pain for the rest of our lives. Back issues later can turn into serious health problems. However, by being aware of our posture and improving it, and frequent exercise and stretches, we can ease back and neck pain.
