Pain in the tech-neck

Spending so much of our lives on screens can lead to real agony. Jo Dunbar shares how to ease issues

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As we scroll, type or swipe our way through the day, we know screen time is having an impact on our health.

Much has been discussed about shrinking concentration spans and our inability to sleep but tech could also be responsible for that neck niggle.

Neck complaints have shot up by 300,000 in five years with 2.9 million people in the UK reporting issues with their neck or back, the Office for National Statistics says.

So what exactly is “tech-neck”, and have you got it?

Strain and stiffness

Jo Blood, director of posturepeople.co.uk, who supply workstation assessments and ergonomic office furniture, says: “Tech-neck is any type of stiffness or pain in the shoulder area that is either caused by or gets worse looking at screens.”

Roshni Shah, an advanced physiotherapist at a GP practice, adds: “Tech-neck is like a repetitive strain of the neck. It tends to happen after prolonged forward head posture. Also known as cervical postural syndrome, we see more of it since the rise of remote working, and it also impacts the upper back.”

It’s our use of laptops and mobile technology that is causing the issue.

Roshni adds: “We used to see people with tech-neck in their 30s and older, but now some patients are much younger.”

Roshni, who's also a spokesperson for The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, says neck issues aren't the only symptom.

“Tech-neck can also cause arm pain and numbness; headaches and nerve compression and it can reoccur.”

“If you spend all day looking at a monitor then slump with your smartphone to relax, it will worsen,” says Jo, who explains that constant screen gazing is disastrous for posture.

She adds: “A poor set-up can mean your head is jutting forward, with your neck and shoulders bearing the brunt of that poor posture.