Introduction to ‘tech neck’ and back pain for desk workers

We’ve all heard about the perils of desk work, sitting is the new smoking, it contributes to heart disease and just about any cancer you care to name.

Blue light stimulates your brain, so falling asleep and getting proper rest is more difficult. Some studies show just spending more time just looking down can increase rates of depression!

What is tech neck?

Evidence is mounting for the condition media outlets now refer to as tech neck, or sometimes “text neck.” Tech neck is a term used to describe neck pain and stiffness caused by spending too much time looking down at phones, computers, or other screens.

Even if you haven’t heard of it you can probably picture the posture. Head forward, chin on chest, shoulder elevated, device out in front.

What we have observed in our patients

On X-rays and imaging of our tech neck sufferers, we are starting to see changes in bony anatomy! Including enlarged muscle attachment points at the base of the skull. These can cause chronic neck pain and headaches, long term shoulder pain and grinding noises on movement. 

And in the clinic, it can be interesting to spend a few minutes hunting down exactly which shoulder or neck joint is making these grinding sounds!

Common problems associated with desk workers

The desk and tech workers we tend to see in clinic are reporting problems such as:

• Chronic headache.
• Jaw clenching, grinding and clicking.
• Ongoing neck pain.
• Shoulder issues (i.e. bursitis, rotator cuff strains, frozen shoulders).
• Lower back pain, especially lumbar disc issues and sciatica.

What to do if you’re experiencing pain and discomfort

If your joints feel frozen from being stuck to your chair, your phone or any other device, there is a lot you can do about it! Just standing up, rotating your neck side to side, rolling your shoulders and doing a couple of air squats can really help relieve the pain of static postures and break up your day. Getting to the gym a couple of times a week is great self care and can reverse some desk work related changes too.

There are some days though when getting to the gym is only more painful though, headaches don’t always go away, shoulders keep pinching every time you lift your arm, and maybe your lower back keeps aching or even seizes up during a workout, lifting the kids, or just pulling weeds out of the garden!

We know that living with long term chronic pain is one of the fastest routes to depression and anxiety, and that manual therapies have significant benefits when it comes to realigning achy joints.

How Chiropractic Moves in Paddington can help you

No matter your lifestyle, Chiropractic care focuses on quickly reducing pain and increasing range of motion. So you can go back to your daily activities. 

At Chiropractic Moves, we take a careful history and conduct a thorough examination to get to the root of pain, and give you the fastest plan to get out of it again. Our mission is to show you the healthiest way to exercise your joints to prevent recurrences in the future so you’re not running into the same problems every time you start trying to exercise again!

If your desk is becoming as physically painful as it is mentally painful, then get in touch and ask us how we can help you.

Dr. Michael O'Doherty

Hi, I’m Michael; Chiropractor, Dad, science enthusiast, active weightlifter and keen sportsman. I work with busy and active people who are struggling with pain to find relief from their symptoms so that they can return to an active lifestyle, get through their work day and their workouts without having to pop a pill so that they can feel happier and healthier in their body.