Tech Neck - Stretches to Relieve the Tension
Within the past year it is reasonable to say that my neck, shoulder, and back pain have increased tremendously. Being that I’m only 24 this is something I would think shouldn’t be a problem for another 6 years, AT LEAST! However, it has come to my attention that I am cultivating a hunchback … or hunched neck due to two daily habits. These unfortunate habits are creating art and using my smart phone daily with poor posture. Obviously, I can’t just break these habits and go on with my life. One connects me to my clients, and the other allows me to maintain them. So I decided to do a little research on how I could fix Tech Neck.
Do you ever experience any of the following?
Clenched Teeth
Pain in between your shoulders
Numbness in your arms
Headaches
Neck Pain
My bet is you said yes to at least 2 of these or more. Tech Neck or Text Neck actually go hand in hand with bad posture for artists. They both cause muscle strain.
What is Tech Neck?
Tech Neck refers to the posture created when we are using our smart phones, tablets, computers, etc leaving our head abnormally tilted forward for extended periods of time.
I create this same unhealthy posture when I collage, paint, caricature, and sketch. The average head weighs about 10lbs, and when it is tilted forward on the spine gravity is only creating more pull on the neck muscles. So how come my head hasn’t broken off yet? More importantly how can I beat the strain?
Stretch!
I know for some people this word is equivalent to nails on a chalkboard, BUT you can reverse symptoms of Tech Neck with a couple exercises that take less than 10 minutes out of your day. Also, developing better habits will help combat future discomfort. I do need to mention at this time that I am not a doctor, I have no medical background, but I do want to improve my posture and continue on with daily activities. These are daily things I am doing to remedy my Tech Neck. It’s up to you to test the exercises for yourself.
HealthLine.com has an article “6 Chiropractor-Approved Exercises to Fight Text Neck” that I decided to give a try. Below is their information on how to properly do each stretch regurgitated by me.
Posture Tips
There are also a couple habits you can incorporate into your daily routine.
Hold your phone, or raise your easel to eye-level
Take 20 minute breaks through out the day.
When sitting in a chair act as if a pole is running through your back keeping you upright head to bum (Or sit pretty as I like to say).
If you have any tips of your own share them below! As always feel free to share, and let me know if you found this information helpful.