Smartphones, iPads, Computers and... Neck Pain? 4 Tips to Help Prevent Neck Pain

Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders. Most episodes of neck pain resolve spontaneously, with or without treatment, however studies have shown that more than one third of affected people still have symptoms or recurrences more than one year later.

Common causes of neck pain may include muscle strains/overuse injuries, osteoarthritis, prolonged poor postures, nerve compression, injuries, and certain diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. 

Overuse injuries are more commonly thought to be related to sports or heavy repetitive job demands. However we are also using our smartphones, ipads and computers much more than we ever have before. The repetitive, prolonged postures and motions involved with use of devices can put strain on our neck resulting in neck pain. 

The repetitive piece with smartphone use is typically looking down. Very few people use their devices at eye level.

The prolonged piece is: on average we spend between four and five hours a day on our smartphones! And that is not factoring in the time we spend on our computers if we work at an office job in particular. The many hours spent in these positions can lead to extra stress and strain on the joints, ligaments and muscles in our neck and upper back in particular resulting in neck pain.

More recently we have heard new terminology relating to injuries associated with smartphone use. Some of these include

“Text neck”,
“swiper’s thumb” or “gamer’s thumb” and
“selfie elbow”.


It has become very difficult and often impossible to get through our day without the use of some kind of device and hence we need to consider the following tips to reduce the negative effects on our bodies. Here a few quick tips to consider.  

Tips to Prevent “Text Neck” or Neck Pain from Computer, iPad, Smartphone Use. 

1. Consider your position while texting
   
   Keep your device at eye level. Looking down increases our forward head position which causes greater strain on the muscles that are required to hold your head upright. 
   
   1. Fun fact: for every one inch of forward head movement it can increase the weight of our head by 10lbs! 
   2. Check in on your posture. Try to avoid slouching and head forward postures for prolonged periods of time. 
2. Limit the amount of time you spend on your device. 
   1. You can check this on your smartphone specifically under ‘Settings’ and ‘Screen Time’. It may be eye opening to see how much time you are spending on your phone, I know it was for me!
   2. If you use your device for work, make sure you change positions frequently. Typically every 30 minutes or less is recommended. 
      1. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; getting up and moving around, doing some gentle stretches will reduce the load and strain being placed on your muscles.
      2. Put a timer on your phone or device to remind you to get up and move!
      3. Focus on stretches for your neck, shoulders and arms. 
         
         
3. Use voice activated features whenever possible. 
   1. Consider using headphones if you talk on your phone a lot.
      
      
4. Stay physically active
   1. Whether it is a walk after work, a yoga class or your own variation of a movement. Our bodies need time to recover from prolonged stresses placed on them. Movement helps to reduce the effects of sitting all day and looking down for prolonged periods.

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I hope these tips bring a little more awareness to our body positions and the amount of time we are spending in these positions and on our devices! Remember to check in often and move often – our body will often tell us what it needs if we are listening ☺ 

~ Jacquie Russell, Physiotherapist

Jacquie Russell

physiotherapist