Tech neckPhoto from Keenan Constance

What Is Tech Neck And How To Get Rid Of It

Working from home has many advantages. You don’t have to deal with office distractions or commute; you get to have a flexible schedule, and not to mention you can stay in your cozy clothes all day and eat cookies while sending an email. But since portable technology or an improvised home standing desk was not designed with posture in mind, we have many patients asking us, “How to get rid of tech neck?”

 

Also called “text neck,” tech neck refers to a neck condition caused by repetitive strain and injury to the muscles and the other tissue structures of the cervical spine. The screen technology we’ve all come to love and rely on so much nowadays, be it a smartphone, laptop, or iPad, lies at the root of this problem that more and more people are dealing with.

 

If you are reading this content, you might also be among those who suffer after spending hours hunching over a computer and are now dealing with excruciating tech neck pain. Desperate to find a solution, you might be wondering how to fix your problem as fast as possible. So what can you do once your neck starts being stiff and sore and you have trouble moving your head?

 

The good news is there are things you can do to improve your condition. That’s why in this article, we’ll focus on showing you how to get rid of tech neck with the help of chiropractic care.

What Are The Symptoms Of Tech Neck

For those wondering how to get rid of tech neck and debating whether to let this condition go away by itself, you should know that common symptoms related to tech neck are typically mild in the initial phases but tend to increase as the condition advances. Also, while the pain’s intensity and location may differ from person to person, other than your neck, with time, you may experience pain in nearby areas, such as the upper back or shoulder blades.

 

The most frequently reported symptoms include:

  • Aching discomfort in the lower neck, necklines, shoulders, and upper back.

  • A sharp, stabbing pain that’s intense and localized in one spot, or you may just feel achy and sore in the entire neck and upper back region.

  • Headaches are triggered by the neck muscles spasm but also from using tech devices for hours every day.

  • Eye strain. Other than looking for solutions for how to get rid of tech neck, many people end up needing glasses prescriptions as well.

  • Reduced mobility or stiffness in the neck, upper back, and shoulders may sometimes worsen after sitting in one position for a long time.

  • Increased pain when tilting the head forward, looking down to text, or holding your neck in one of the positions that had initially caused your tech neck.

  • Jaw pain due to misalignment of the cervical spine or from muscle imbalances.

  • Posture changes include the shoulders becoming rounded forward.

  • Tingling pain and numbness in the arms and hands, related to spinal nerve irritation and inflammation.

  • Body tension

How To Fix And Prevent Tech Neck With Chiropractic Care

When people come to our Los Gatos chiropractic office asking us how to get rid of tech neck, we usually tell them that there’s no general treatment we can recommend. It all depends on the symptoms they are experiencing, their age, and the other health conditions they might be battling with.

 

Before the neck pain becomes a chronic issue, manual therapy, rest, and massages are highly recommended as an early intervention. All these may help to improve function, increase activity and prevent long term neck pain. Once the neck pain has become chronic, specific neck exercises for managing chronic neck pain may significantly improve functionality alongside chiropractic adjustments. In some instances, neck pain can lead to cervical radiculopathy, which might require epidural steroid injections or even surgery.

For those wondering, “Can tech neck be reversed?” or “How do you fix or cure a tech neck?”, the good news is that regular chiropractic adjustments are very effective at preventing and managing this type of neck pain.

 

So if you want to know how to get rid of tech neck with our chiropractors’ help, the treatment starts with an initial visit to our clinic. During your first chiropractic visit with us, before assessing your condition’s state, we will try to find out as much as possible about your device usage, work habits, and general daily lifestyle. At times, it might be difficult to tell if neck pain is caused by more severe conditions, such as a herniated disc or fracture. We might also need to perform an X-ray to make a proper diagnosis.

 

Once your information is collected, and all the examinations are performed, we can develop a treatment plan to target the necessary structures. Your treatment package will usually consist of hands-on treatment but also home exercises to help correct your posture. Dr. Andrea Friese will also recommend some lifestyle advice regarding how to combine work with rest so that you preserve your health.

 

If you’re wondering how long it usually takes to get rid of tech neck-through chiropractic therapy. Results vary from patient to patient. An initial package of 10 visits, with a frequency of at least three times a week, is usually required.

 

So if you are suffering from tech neck pain and want to make sure your body will heal before your condition becomes more serious, contact us to make an appointment. We would be more than happy to help make pain a problem of your past!

 

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