Tech Neck

Phones are one of the greatest tools we have. They keep us connected, hold our schedules, tell us the weather and are there when we have a question.

Over time, we have started to move our heads to look at the phones instead of moving the phones up to where we are looking. This has started to cause many of my patients to develop neck pain, headaches, and occasionally numbness in their arms and hands. Here are my tips to help avoid tech. neck and reduce the pain.

1. Hold the phone up to eye level.

Start by looking straight ahead. Imagine a string pulling the top of your head up to the ceiling. Now leaving your head up, move the phone to eye level. This way, there is no strain on your neck from looking down.

2. Use your arm as a support.

Holding your phone at eye level can make our arm tired. Try holding your elbow to support the arm holding the phone.

3. Take a break.

Take a break from your phone every 15-20 minutes and move around. This will help give your eyes a rest and get your joints moving. Do another task for at least 10 minutes before returning to the phone.

Pro tip: Use this time to fill your water bottle. Remember, try to drink half your body weight in ounces.