With more people working remotely, correct posture for your Zoom call is more important than ever. Yes it’s great having the convenience of working from home but your workspace setup may not be ideal. You may be bending your head over all day working on your laptop and sitting in a stiff chair. At the end of the day you notice stiffness and a dull achy neck pain and low back pain when you move. How can you prevent this neck pain? Let’s take a look at basic steps you can take to prevent “tech neck.”
What is Tech Neck
Tech neck (aka text neck) is neck pain from repetitive muscle strain and spasm in your cervical spine. Constantly bending your neck forward from prolonged screen time causes muscle deconditioning in your neck, shoulder and upper chest. Your muscles begin to memorize the same single position. The combination of muscle deconditioning and muscle memory gradually leads to neck pain.
Symptoms of tech neck can include a general achy pain in your lower neck, shoulder, and upper back. Pain can be localized in one spot and you may feel a muscle knot. You may have limited range of motion in your neck and pain can worsen when you move your neck in certain directions. Some people can experience tingling or numbness down their arms to their hands indicating nerve irritation in the cervical spine. Tech neck can also lead to more headaches.
Neck Anatomy – A Quick Lesson
Your cervical spine consists of 7 cervical vertebrae and 8 cervical nerves exiting from the spinal canal which also holds your spinal cord. Ligaments and tendons hold the cervical vertebrae together and align them. In between each vertebrae are the intervertebral disks that act as “shock absorbers” and can degenerate as we age.
Several muscles support your neck in the front and back. The major muscles include the sternocleidomastoid, trapezius, levator scapulae, erector spinae, deep cervical flexors, and suboccipital muscles.
The ligaments connect your cervical vertebrae together and help keep your cervical spine stable. The main ligaments include the anterior longitudinal ligament, posterior longitudinal ligament, and ligamentum flava.
How to Prevent Tech Neck
- Make your workspace more ergonomic – Elevate your screen to eye level to reduce bending your neck down. You can use a screen stand or standing desk to elevate your screen to eye level to maintain a correct posture for your Zoom call.
- Maintain proper posture – Be mindful of your posture when you are working. Keep your feet on the ground and avoid leg crossing. Keep your chest forward and shoulders back. Alternate from sitting and standing to reduce muscle memory.
- Take breaks – Get up in between Zoom calls to stretch, walk, and get your blood circulating.
Home Exercises for Tech Neck
- Stretching – Neck side bend. Neck back stretch. Shoulder blade squeeze. Chin tuck.
- Muscle massage and heat pad
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (i.e. Aleve, Advil) or Tylenol