iPhone, therefore iHunch.
“Tech neck,” the “TikTok tilt,” “scrolliosis” or the “Silicon slump” — there are many ways to describe the pain, stiffness and discomfort that results from repeatedly bending your head forward to look at your phone.
“[Tech neck] causes immense strain on the muscular system in the neck and body,” Dr. Rahul Shah, a board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon with Premier Orthopaedic Associates in New Jersey, told The Post.
“The further forward your neck is tilted,” he added, “the more weight it bears on your neck to actually hold your head up.”
Shah said that the additional weight on your neck causes your shoulders and upper back muscles to overcompensate to stabilize and support your head.
As a short-term solution for tech neck, Shah recommends “adult tummy time,” a trendy move that involves lying on your stomach to counteract the tilt of the neck by forcing an extension in the opposite direction.
He also suggests performing an isometric exercise after you have been looking at your phone for more than 20 minutes.
Your neck should stay in a neutral position throughout the stretch, which is meant to ensure that key muscles get enough blood and that your head is well-aligned over your shoulders.
Press your palm against your forehead without moving your head. Start with a few seconds and build up to a minute.
“When pressure is applied to the forehead, the back of the neck muscles are activated,” Shah explained. “The opposite is true for applying pressure to the back of the neck, where the muscles in the front of the spine are activated.”
Repeat the process by applying pressure to the back of the neck and then each ear. Pressing against the right ear activates the left side of the neck muscles and vice versa.
If you feel muscular pain, Shah advises holding the stretch for a few additional seconds to improve resilience. Radiating pain should prompt a visit to the doctor.
“I would recommend doing these whenever one has discomfort in the shoulder when they’ve been looking down for any length of time, as this will improve the overall blood flow to the area of the neck without necessarily aggravating one area or another,” Shah said.
The move also gives your eyes a break. Eye experts encourage the “20-20-20” rule — every 20 minutes, you should look at an object that is at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
This helps to prevent digital eye strain, a common consequence of working on screens for long periods of time.
If the isometric exercise doesn’t appeal to you, Shah said that a simple outdoor walk boosts blood flow throughout the body.
“[A walk] will help you to improve your posture, increasing the natural position of the muscles and decreasing muscle fatigue,” he added. “Stretches and aerobic exercise will keep your muscles from feeling that fatigue.”
