How to Avoid ‘Tech Neck’

Smartphones and tablets are great technological achievements – they allow us to spend countless hours looking at cat videos, swiping right and recording Dennis Quaid lose his cool.

Even though, the last one was staged, but hey – someone still used a smartphone to record it so my point stands.

Anyway, all the good things aside, these technological wonders also have their dark sides – people feeling anxious when their battery dies, messing with our sleep patterns, as well as putting tons of strain on our relationships.

Now we can add one more downside to smartphones – the so-called ‘tech neck’.

More and more young people are seeking medical advice for neck and back pain caused by using a mobile device.

Health experts have found that the “sedentary epidemic” sweeping Britain has resulted in a 60 per cent rise in the number of 16-34 year-olds who suffer from neck or back pain, due to the prolonged periods of time they spend sitting down, often behind screens, Telegraph reports.

Here are a couple of things you can do to prevent the ‘tech neck’:

1: Turn off your devices and go outside. Ok, that was a joke, and a lousy one, at that. Let’s try this again.

1: Download Text Neck: Neck pain? There’s an app for that. Android users can download “Text Neck” and receive real-time feedback on whether they’re standing in the correct posture, indicated by a red or green light. Users can also opt for audible and vibration notifications when their posture starts to slip.

2: Keep your monitor at eye level: If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer (and I’m guessing you are, especially if you’re reading this article), then you should make sure the monitor is in eye level. This will stop you from straining your neck forwards and help you maintain good posture.

3: Exercise your neck at your desk: There are a couple of stretching exercises you can do while sitting at your desk, working really hard.

4: Use a tablet holder: Same as keeping the monitor at eye-level, this is what a tablet holder can do for your tablets.

5: Drink a lot of water: This is not only related to the ‘tech neck’ but to everything you do. Still, in this case, we know that the discs in your spine are made up mostly of water, so it is important you stay hydrated.

SOURCE: http://www.itproportal.com/2015/04/17/devices-giving-neck-pain-simple-tips/