Neck Pain and “Tech Neck”: Causes, Desk Fixes and When to Get It Checked

You finish a long day at the laptop, check your phone on the bus home, and by evening your neck feels stiff, achy and tight across the shoulders. Sound familiar? Neck pain is one of the most common reasons people visit our clinic, and the way we work and scroll today often plays a part.

What is “tech neck”?

“Tech neck” is a casual name for neck and upper back pain linked to long periods of looking down at a phone, tablet or laptop. It isn’t a formal diagnosis, but it describes a pattern we see often.

Your head weighs about as much as a bowling ball. When it sits balanced over your shoulders, your neck muscles don’t have to work very hard. As your head drifts forward and down, those muscles have to hold more of that load, for longer. Over hours and days, that can add up to:

• Stiffness when turning your head, like checking your blind spot while driving
• Aching or burning between the shoulder blades and across the tops of the shoulders
• Tight, tender spots in the neck and shoulder muscles
• Headaches that start at the base of the skull and wrap forward

Posture isn’t the whole story, though. There’s no single “perfect” posture. Staying in any position for too long tends to be the bigger problem. Stress, poor sleep, an old injury and low overall activity can all make the neck more sensitive too.

What can I do at home?

• Bring the screen up to you. Raise your laptop or monitor so the top of the screen is near eye level, and hold your phone a little higher instead of dropping your chin to it.
• Move often. Set a reminder to change position every 30 minutes. Stand up, roll your shoulders and look around the room. Small, frequent breaks beat one long stretch at the end of the day.
• Try chin tucks. Sitting tall, gently glide your chin straight back (like making a double chin), hold for a few seconds and relax. Repeat 5 to 10 times, a few times a day.
• Open up the upper back. Sit tall, squeeze your shoulder blades gently back and down, and hold for a few breaths. A walk with your arms swinging freely helps too.
• Check your pillow. Your pillow should keep your head level with your spine, not propped up or sagging. Sleeping on your stomach often twists the neck.
• Use heat or cold. Either can ease pain and muscle tension. Use whichever feels better. Our post on relief for a stiff neck has a few more simple ideas.

Movement should feel easy and comfortable. If an exercise makes your pain sharper or sends symptoms down your arm, stop and get it checked.

When should I get it checked?

Book an assessment if your neck pain lasts more than a week or two, keeps coming back, wakes you at night, or comes with headaches, or tingling or numbness in your arm or hand.

Get medical care right away (see your doctor, or go to emergency) if you have:

• Neck pain after a fall, car accident or other injury
• A sudden, severe headache unlike any you’ve had before
• Fever with a stiff neck, especially with a headache or sensitivity to light
• Weakness, clumsiness or loss of coordination in your arms or legs
• Dizziness, trouble speaking or swallowing, double vision or fainting
• Unexplained weight loss or a history of cancer along with new neck pain

How we help with neck pain

Neck pain often involves joints, muscles and everyday habits all at once. Having several disciplines under one roof means we can look at the whole picture and refer you in-house if another approach would suit you better.

Chiropractic

Our chiropractors assess how your neck and upper back are moving, and may use spinal manipulation and mobilization, soft tissue work, exercises and workstation advice to ease pain and improve movement. Dr. Tessa Bryan, DC combines manual and instrument-assisted soft tissue techniques, cupping, RockTape and therapeutic exercise. Dr. Alexia Grelson, DC blends manual, instrument-assisted and drop-table techniques tailored to each patient’s comfort, and enjoys working with busy professionals. Dr. Matthew Bryan, DC takes a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to care. Dr. Krisjan Gustavson, DC has been in practice since 1986.

Physiotherapy

Our physiotherapists use manual therapy, education and a progressive exercise plan to build strength and endurance in the neck and upper back, so your body copes better with long days at a desk. Spirit Donahue, MPT centres his care on therapeutic exercise, manual therapy and patient education. Kanu Priya, MPT has over 10 years of experience and uses manual therapy, dry needling (IMS) and exercise prescription. Ivy Elling-Quaintance, MPT focuses on evidence-based exercise and movement, and has an interest in chronic pain management.

Registered Massage Therapy

Massage therapy can ease tight, tender neck and shoulder muscles and help you move more comfortably. Craig Lawrence, RMT has practised since 2006 and focuses on trigger point release, often for working professionals dealing with desk-bound aches and tension headaches. Braedan Pearce, RMT uses myofascial release, trigger point release, stretching and home care exercises, and works with neck, shoulder and arm pain. Morag Hart, RMT brings a particular empathy for chronic repetitive stresses on the body and tailors home care to each client.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is another option that may help relieve neck pain and muscle tension. Jun Liu, R.Ac is also a certified Pilates instructor with over 20 years in therapeutic movement, and works with musculoskeletal pain and postural concerns. Annie Wang, R.Ac, R.TCM.P includes posture-related and myofascial pain among her clinical focuses, using acupuncture, cupping, gua sha and Tui Na.

Book an appointment

If your neck is making workdays harder than they need to be, we’d be glad to help. We bill most insurance plans directly, so you can focus on feeling better.

Book online or call us at 250-382-0018. You’ll find us at 1063 Fort Street in downtown Victoria.

This article is general information and isn’t a substitute for an assessment by a qualified health professional.