Why My Neck Is Mad at Me?

📱 “Text Neck”: Is Your Phone Secretly Wrecking Your Spine?

We’ve all done it—hunched over the glowing rectangle like our life depends on it. The Cleveland Clinic calls this text neck (a.k.a. tech neck), and it’s basically your neck’s way of saying: “Stop treating me like a bendy straw.”

🤕 Why Your Neck Hates Scrolling

Your head weighs about 10-12 pounds when upright (like a small bowling ball). Tilt it forward just 15°, and your neck is suddenly supporting almost 27 pounds. Go full chin-to-chest, and it’s more like 60 pounds—basically balancing a Labrador on your neck while you text.

🚨 Symptoms You Probably Ignore

• Stiff or sore neck

• Achy shoulders and upper back

• Headaches (yep, your phone can do that too)

• In bad cases: fatigue, reduced lung capacity, tingling in arms or hands

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💪 Quick Fixes

The good news? You don’t have to live like a wilted daisy. A few cheats:

• Neck Stretch → Grab one side of your chair, lean your head the other way.

• Isometric Push → Hands behind head, push back gently, resist with hands.

• Shoulder Blade Squeeze → Pretend you’re pinching a pencil between your shoulder blades.

• Pec Twist → Hands on desk corner, twist, and look over your shoulder

Other pro tips:

• Raise your phone to eye level (instead of letting your chin drop like a busted bobblehead).

• Take breaks every 15-30 minutes. Motion is lotion, people.

• Heat/cold packs can help calm the cranky muscles.

🩺 When to Call the Pros

If the pain’s constant, keeps you up at night, or comes with tingling in arms/fingers, it’s time to call in backup—like a chiropractor or physical therapist. Sarcasm is great, but it won’t realign your spine.

🎯 Bottom Line

Keep your chin up—literally. Phones aren’t going away, but that doesn’t mean your posture has to pay the price. Stretch, raise your device, take breaks, and your neck won’t hate you later.

I’ve always got your back!

-Dr. Wise