Are you suffering from ‘tech-neck?’

We are living in an era where most of what we do is aided by the use of a screen: most of us use a desktop computer or laptop for work, and in our downtime, what do we do? Watch TV – on a physical screen or otherwise. Oh, and then there are our phones! Just take a moment and think: how do you sit when you are looking at a screen? Are you a little hunched over? Has your neck started to hurt?

 It’s a common problem. And it has a name! Tech Neck.

So, What is tech neck?

In short, tech neck is the pain we feel when we have spent too much time with our neck extended too far over our shoulders while looking at a computer screen, or hunched over looking at a cell phone, tablets or other handheld devices. It causes pressure on our muscles, ligaments vertebrae, and discs in the upper neck and thoracic regions.

Some of the symptoms include:

• Stiff or painful neck

• Shoulder pain

• Headaches

• Tingling or numb thumbs

• Dry eyes and blurry vision

How can we mitigate tech neck?

Well, it’s all about your posture!

• Make sure you are looking at computer screen and phone at eye level.

• Be aware of how you hold your phone. Ideally, you want to be holding it at eye level, and not hunching your body over it and putting additional strain on your neck.

• Stretch! Take a break and relieve the stress on your shoulders. Add in some shoulder rolls too!

• Shake it off! Take a break from typing and give your fingers a wiggle.

• Give your eyes a little rest. Stop looking at your screen for 5-10 minutes every so often. (Ps. That doesn’t mean stop looking at your computer and replace it with your phone screen!)

An ergonomic workspace is essential to working from home! Back in September we created a blog giving you our hottest tips on how to create a suitable, and comfortable, workspace.

Check it out here.