I'm A Surgeon – This Anti-'Tech Neck' Position Actually Makes It Worse

Woman hunching over screen“Tech neck” or “text neck,” a term that refers to shoulder and neck pain caused by texting or craning our necks towards screens all day, may affect up to 73% of uni students and almost 65% of people who work from home, a 2022 paper reads. The Mayo Clinic says it can put uneven pressure on your spine, leading to discomfort and even headaches and fatigue. All of which is to say, I understand why some TikTok users like “posture and fitness coach” Jen Lashley are keen to correct the all-too-common issue. In a recent TikTok, she suggested adults should get in some “tummy time” while scrolling to “strengthen your back muscles and improve your posture.” So, we spoke to orthopaedic surgeon Dr John Hinson who specialises in the shoulders and elbows at the Palm Beach Orthopaedic Institute in West Palm Beach, to see whether this holds up. @jennlashley_Stop and turn around right now! 😆Sometimes you gotta get creative 😉 Babies do tummy time, so should adults! . . . #posture#posturecorrection#posturetips#tummytime#backstrengthening#roundedshoulders#techneck♬ BIG UP - INJIIt may actually make your neck pain worse Though Dr Hinson admits “The persistent habit of staring down at a screen puts excessive stress on the neck, shoulders, and upper back,” he doesn’t think this is the answer. “Lying on your stomach as a prevention for this issue is not a good solution for this problem,” he tells us. “This position will put the lumbar spine into an overly curved (hyperlordotic position) and requires a great deal of work from the neck muscles to hold the head in an upright position. “Staying in this position for extended periods could potentially exacerbate any underlying back issues and cause neck pain,” he continues, accidentally making the issue worse. So what position should I be in to prevent “tech neck”?“The ideal position for the neck would be sitting in a chair with good low back support and the chair leaning slightly back,” Dr Hinson advises.“The chair will absorb some of the weight of the body and will take pressure off the low back. Holding the head slightly behind the body allows the neck muscles to be more relaxed and takes stress off the neck.” Of course, he adds, this isn’t always possible; but there are workarounds.“When you cannot achieve ideal positions for your head and neck make sure to take frequent short breaks and change your position to give your neck muscles a break,” the surgeon recommends. “If it does become an issue for you, an exercise program for your neck can be a helpful tool for treatment.” Related...5 Dementia Risk Factors A Surgeon Says Too Many Of Us IgnoreCommon Stomach Bug Can Weaken Your Immune System, Surgeon SaysI'm A Surgeon – This Is What Search Results Get Wrong About Symptoms

Comments

Breaking news

Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from dismantling library services agency

33 minutes ago

Ex-cop sues NFL legend Steve Smith Sr. over alleged affair with wife

33 minutes ago

JD Vance dismisses anti-Trump ruling: Judge ‘doesn’t decide’ president has no right to deport immigrants under Alien Enemies Act

33 minutes ago

What to know about California's fight over harsher penalties for soliciting sex from older teens

Comments

Similar News

Judge Lowers Bond from $1.2M to $7k for Migrant Truck Driver Accused of Killing 5 in Texas Crash

Hackers hold-up at M&S: Silicon Valley has failed miserably on security, says ALEX BRUMMER

London Stock Exchange Group suffers shareholder rebellion over boss's £2.7m pay rise

Child minder tells police 'I'm going to admit it' after shocked parent's discovery

Harrods becomes latest retailer hit by cyber attack after M&S and Co-op

M&S pauses recruitment amid ongoing cyber attack

DAVID BECKHAM AT 50: The real story of football's 007, our tense encounter that I'm now forever grateful for and how he rewrote the rulebook, writes OLIVER HOLT

I once felt so ashamed of my fantasies of sex. That's why I'm jealous of porn star Lily Phillips: BRYONY GORDON

I’m an evolutionary expert. Here’s who would really win in a fight between 100 men and a gorilla

I'm 93 and I still work on the tills at Waitrose - they took me on when I was 80 and it stops me going bananas

'They wanted $4m': Lessons for M&S from other cyber attacks

Nearly 40,000 North Lanarkshire children and families received £2.8m towards heating bills last winter

'Neighbour is obsessed with parking spot outside my house and I'm sick of it'

'I'm seeing Beyoncé 's Cowboy Carter tour– these are the £60 cowboy boots I'm wearing'

Tycoon who paid for divorce with £2.5m fraud after wife dumped him for Cesc Fabregas faces fresh court fight to keep his cash

Online orders paused and missing items – what we know about the M&S cyber chaos

The surprising tactics of hackers targeting major firms like M&S and Co-op

M&S customers rally behind retailer as thousands send messages of support after cyber attack

'I'm a gastroenterologist – this common painkiller can cause two major health issues'

Ex-Tory MP was wrong not to declare £4.5m loans from major donor, watchdog finds

Breaking news

Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from dismantling library services agency

Ex-cop sues NFL legend Steve Smith Sr. over alleged affair with wife

JD Vance dismisses anti-Trump ruling: Judge ‘doesn’t decide’ president has no right to deport immigrants under Alien Enemies Act

What to know about California's fight over harsher penalties for soliciting sex from older teens

Submarine designers in Connecticut say they'll strike on May 18 if contract deal isn't reached

North Korean hacker who tried to get a job at US tech company caught red-handed - here's how

Boy, 12, frozen with shock after witnessing ex-postman kill elderly neighbour after row over gate

Donald Trump WILL be US president for a third term, warns his former adviser

One dead and another critically injured after car ploughs into restaurant as police launch manhunt for driver

Max Verstappen to miss Miami Grand Prix media day to stay with his girlfriend ahead of imminent birth of his first child - but is still set to race this weekend

Even Marvel haters will be won over by new movie starring Florence Pugh who could save the ailing franchise

Woman 'murdered her husband' and then phoned 999 saying he had killed himself, court hears

TOM UTLEY: Mrs U's £55 parking fine meant that, for once, SHE looked silly. I paid up - it was cheap at the price for the joy of seeing her blush!

Prince Andrew's supporters gave us access to his private papers to prove his innocence. It backfired on them badly, as RICHARD PENDLEBURY's forensic investigation shows...

Danielle's murder shook Britain. When I found out my brother had done it, it left me with an unthinkable fear: There could be a predator lurking in me too: ALIX SHARKEY

The TRUTH about Hitler's secret 'escape' plan, what really happened to the mountain of gold stolen by Germany during the war and the identities of hidden Nazis to be revealed in bombshell new documents

RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: As Ed Miliband doubles down on his Net Zero madness… Disaster, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

REVEALED: Britain's richest TV couples - from the pairing you'd never guess are worth £20m to how much Stacey Solomon, Molly-Mae and Spencer Matthews really make, the secrets the stars would rather keep under wraps

Tom Cruise 'is planning to take rumoured girlfriend Ana De Armas to David Beckham's star-studded 50th birthday bash after growing closer'

Gino D'Acampo's 'last five remaining restaurants are saved from the brink of closure after the star's sacking over inappropriate behaviour claims'

Forget fighting a gorilla! Nobody has ever been killed by one...but the most dangerous primate of all has ripped apart babies, chewed off faces and torn off limbs and genitals

The major £60,000 surgery that no one can tell you had: Harley Street experts reveal the latest face lift A-listers are lining up to get

Is Tom Cruise ready to start a new family at 62? Top Gun star is estranged from daughter Suri - but new love Ana de Armas, 37, left Ben Affleck because she 'wants children'

Amanda Holden and Alan Carr are set for massive profit as they nab offer on stunning Spanish villa they renovated on latest series of their BBC show

I had jaw Botox to stop teeth grinding and slim my face. This is the truth about how much it costs, the 'miracle' effect... and if it really works: CLARA GASPAR

MARK ALMOND: The question is can Trump now get concessions out of Russia?

I'm a cyber expert - the recent attacks on M&S and Harrods are no coincidence... and customers could now be in danger

Bill Gates' daughter accidentally reveals billionaire's bombshell medical diagnosis

Biscuit firm boss sacked after slapping Gemma Oaten's bum on stage at an awards - but says Emmerdale star 'gave him permission'

Chris Hughes 'will replace Christine McGuinness on Celebs Go Dating' as she quits the show in huge move - days after he insisted close bond with JoJo Siwa was 'platonic'

Michelle Obama issues veiled threat against Barack as she finally addresses divorce rumors head on

Maura Higgins sends temperatures soaring as she shows off her toned figure in a skimpy black top while stepping out in scorching London

Inside the final months of 'beautiful' Jade Damarell's life: From being happily married to living in lodgings at skydiving club with 'boyfriend'

Interest rates are set to fall at their fastest since the financial crisis of 2008, experts say

Madeleine McCann's parents to get police protection at her annual vigil after two women allegedly stalked the family

I Kissed a Girl singer passes away at 66 as her tragic cause of death is revealed

Cardinal could be dropped from the conclave because he doesn't know his age

Israel fires largely controlled after mass evacuations

The Papers: Weight loss jabs 'at the chemist' and 'hottest' May

Mayor Adams Wants This to Be His ‘Best Budget Ever.’ Some Are Skeptical.

Federal Report Denounces Gender Treatments for Adolescents

When Taxpayers Fund Shows Like ‘Blue Bloods’ and ‘S.N.L.,’ Does It Pay Off?

Once Banished From Trump’s White House, Zelensky Has New Hope

Maniacs torched my house then threw me off a bridge – they murdered my dog and are trying to kill me

Maniacs torched my house then threw me off a bridge – they murdered my dog and are trying to kill me

Popular sandwich chain reduced to smallest size in decades after closing 631 locations

Chuck Schumer struggles to meet the moment as Democrats call for leadership

Mississippi sets an execution date for a man who's been on death row since 1976

HSBC set to face pressure on climate commitments at shareholder meeting

Reeves’s benefits cuts will hit red wall communities hardest, research reveals

Mark Zuckerberg says don’t worry about loneliness epidemic because he can just recreate all your friends in AI

Army plans for a potential parade on Trump's birthday call for 6,600 soldiers, AP learns

Liberation Day might have cost you Independence Day: Firework costs skyrockets on Trump tariffs

AP PHOTOS: Brazilian Order of the Sunrise gather for their annual May 1st ceremony

Trump’s deputy at the DOJ pushed for search warrant for student protesters’ Instagram accounts

Luigi Mangione wants state murder case dropped, arguing double jeopardy in UnitedHealthcare killing

NHS may offer weight loss jabs over the counter at pharmacies