Just sending that one quick message in bed. Or sitting on your phone all afternoon because everything goes digital these days. Although we all know by now that it is not healthy and can cause neck pain, we are all guilty of it. On average, we spend 4 hours a day on our smartphone or tablet. So how can we prevent smartphone neck pain?
How does smartphone neck pain occur?
When we look at our smartphone or tablet, we often lean forwards. Our posture changes. We tilt our neck by about 45 degrees. This puts an extra 22 kilos of pressure on the cervical vertebrae. This can lead to painful neck symptoms, which often start in the neck area and can extend to the shoulder, arm and back. Since the rise of the smartphone, we at FRISKFYSIO have seen an increasing number of people coming to us with smartphone-related neck pain.
Exercises for smartphone neck pain
If you suffer from symptoms, you can do several exercises that help relax the neck. Using the video below, you can see which exercises can reduce your neck pain.
- Rear muscles in the neck stretch: Hold your head straight above your torso. Pull your chin towards your chest and then push it with your index and middle finger, even closer to your chest. You will feel the muscles at the back of the neck stretch. Hold this for a few seconds and then release.
- Stretch muscles on the side of the neck: Place your left hand on your chest and turn your head to the right so that you are looking over your right shoulder. Then bend your head back. You will feel the muscles on the left side of the neck stretch. Hold this for a few seconds and then repeat this exercise on the other side.
Jeremy Ethier shows in this video how to this and perform other exercises. He also gives tips on good posture to prevent smartphone neck pain.
This is how to prevent smartphone neck pain
- If you use your smartphone or tablet for long periods at a time, make sure you change your posture regularly. By not sitting in the same position for too long, you reduce the pressure on your neck. This will prevent neck pain.
- Instead of adjusting your body's posture to your smartphone, adjust the position of your smartphone. For example, hold the smartphone straight in front of you or use a stand that makes your tablet stand upright. This will prevent you from bending your head too far forward.
If you are experiencing long-term neck problems, you can contact FRISKFYSIO for physiotherapy. Together with the physiotherapist, you will work on improving your posture.
Want to know how the physiotherapist can help you with smartphone neck pain? Or would you like to make an appointment?
Then take contact with us. You can also call us at 085-5000333 or send an email to info@friskfysio.nl.
