Neck pain from your phone: how to relieve tech neck

What tech neck is

"Tech neck" is a popular name for neck and shoulder discomfort in people who spend hours looking down at a phone. It is not a diagnosis; it describes a habit that overloads the area.

How much the tilt weighs

A 2014 modelling study by Kenneth Hansraj estimated the force on the cervical spine as the head tilts. In a neutral position the head weighs about 5 kg; tilted to 60 degrees, the estimated load reaches about 27 kg. It is a model estimate, not a measurement in each person, but it shows why position matters.

Source: Hansraj, stresses in the cervical spine caused by head posture, 2014.

What helps day to day

• Bring the phone up to eye level instead of bending your head down.
• Rest your elbows when reading for longer.
• Take breaks every 20 to 30 minutes and move your neck gently.
• At the computer, raise the screen.

See also nighttime habits for better sleep.

Strengthening helps more than stretching alone

Stretching brings relief in the moment, but research suggests that strong muscles hold the head better throughout the day. A Cochrane review, from the organization that gathers the best evidence in health, analyzed dozens of trials of exercises for mechanical neck pain. The most consistent results for chronic pain came from regular strengthening of the neck, shoulders and upper back. Stretching on its own had weaker evidence.

Simple exercises, like tucking the chin with your head against a wall and squeezing the shoulder blades together, can be done at home. If there is strong pain, tingling or weakness, start with guidance from a physical therapist.

Source: Gross et al., Exercises for mechanical neck disorders, Cochrane, 2015.

A quick check during the day

More than finding the perfect posture, what matters is not spending too long in the same position. A few questions help you keep track:

• Is the screen close to eye level, or is your chin pointing at your chest?
• Are your shoulders relaxed, or have they crept up toward your ears?
• How long since you changed position? A short break every half hour already helps.
• Are you lying on your side holding the phone? That position twists the neck for a long time.

A discreet alarm on the phone itself, every 30 or 40 minutes, is a simple reminder to look up and move.

When to get help

Get checked if the pain lasts for weeks, spreads to the arm, or comes with tingling, weakness or severe headache. Neck pain after a fall or blow should also be assessed. Physiotherapy often helps persistent cases.

What research and health services say

A Brazilian study published in 2022 in the Brazilian Journal of Pain (BrJP), by researchers at Centro Universitário Lusíada in Santos, assessed 136 university students aged 18 to 20 and found an association between smartphone dependence, neck pain and mild to moderate disability in daily activities. As a cross-sectional study, it shows an association, not cause and effect.

The UK's NHS says most neck pain only lasts a few weeks, lists bad posture, such as sitting at a desk for a long time, among the common causes, and advises keeping the neck moving instead of wearing a neck collar, unless a doctor says otherwise. It recommends seeing a GP if the pain does not go away after a few weeks or if there are symptoms like pins and needles or a cold arm.

Sources: BrJP, phone use and neck pain; NHS, neck pain.