Have you ever heard of Tech Neck? It is when the head juts forward and often downward as we look at tech devices sitting on our desks, propped in our laps or held in our hands.
The tech-neck position is not rooted in tight neck muscles. Rather, it is the position of the devices we are using that causes us to round our upper back, protract our heads forward, and often tilt them downward.
However, when we spend prolonged periods in this position, adaptive shortening of our muscles occurs, causing those responsible for the forward-head position to repeat and encode this motor pattern and become mechanically short.
Problems Caused from Tech Neck
Unflattering Posture
Neural Impingement and Pain
Disk Herniation and Pain
Tension Headaches
Joint Arthritis in the Spinal Column
Bone Degeneration caused by Cartilage Deterioration
Bon Spurs in the Cervical Spine
How to Prevent Tech Neck
Constantly monitor and counteract a poor movement pattern or posture
Set a reminder on your phone to do a "neck check" or stand up and stretch every 30 minutes
Release and stretch the tight muscles and facilitate activation in underactive muscles
Target the upper trapezius and levator scapulae with self-myofascial release. Find tender spots along these muscles and hold pressure against each spot until the tenderness has subsided (30-60 seconds). Perform static stretches for 30 seconds.
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