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Is Your Phone Wrecking Your Neck?  What is Tech Neck?

by Julie Zuleger, Ph.D., CSCS, RYT-500, LMT

Published on 08/07/2025

Are you one of the millions constantly battling aches in your neck, shoulders, and upper back? In our hyper-connected world, where screens dominate our work, entertainment, and social lives, a silent epidemic is taking hold.

Is Your Phone Wrecking Your Neck? What is Tech Neck?
Photo by Kindel Media

What is Tech Neck?

Tech neck, sometimes referred to as “text neck,” is not a formal medical diagnosis, but rather a descriptive term for the chronic neck and shoulder pain, stiffness, and soreness that results from prolonged poor posture while using electronic devices such as smartphones. Research shows that when you are phone focused, your head and neck (cervical spine) are often tilted forward, sometimes at extreme angles (Piruta & Kułak, 2025).

Your head weighs approximately 10-12 pounds in a neutral, upright position. However, as you tilt it forward, the effective weight on your neck muscles, ligaments, and discs dramatically increases. At just a 15-degree forward tilt, that weight can feel like 27 pounds. Lean forward to 30 degrees, and you’re subjecting your neck to 40 pounds of pressure. A 60-degree angle, common when intensely scrolling, can mean a whopping 60 pounds of strain! Over time, this repetitive strain can lead to muscle imbalances, inflammation, and even structural changes in your spine.

Tech Neck - chronic neck and shoulder pain, stiffness, and soreness that results from prolonged poor posture while using electronic devices such as smartphones
Photo by Olga and stock.adobe.com

What Are the Symptoms of Tech Neck?

Symptoms can vary from person to person. Here are some of the most common symptoms:

  • Persistent Neck and Shoulder Pain: This can range from a dull, nagging ache to sharp, stabbing pain, often concentrated at the base of the neck or radiating into the shoulders and upper back. You might notice it worsens after prolonged screen time.
  • Stiffness and Reduced Mobility: Do you find it difficult to turn your head fully or look over your shoulder? Tech neck can limit the range of motion in your neck and upper back.
  • Headaches: Tension headaches are a frequent companion to tech neck. The strained muscles at the base of your skull can trigger pain that radiates into your head.
  • Forward Head Posture and Rounded Shoulders: Over time, your body can adapt to your habitual posture, leading to a visible forward head position and rounded shoulders, even when you’re not using devices. This is a tell-tale sign of muscle deconditioning and imbalance.
  • Numbness or Tingling (in severe cases): In more advanced stages, the prolonged pressure can lead to pinched nerves, causing sensations of numbness, tingling, or even weakness that radiate down into your arms and hands. This is a severe symptom that warrants medical attention.
  • Jaw Pain (TMJ issues): The misalignment in your cervical spine can sometimes lead to problems with your temporomandibular joint, resulting in jaw pain.

How to Fix Tech Neck?

The good news is that tech neck is often reversible and manageable with consistent effort. The key is a combination of stretching tight muscles, strengthening weak ones, and improving your overall posture. Research suggests that focusing on the most frequently involved muscles of tech neck, (trapezius, sternocleidomastoid (SCM), and levator scapulae), as part of a postural correction program, can have a positive effect (Shinde & Bhende, 2023).

Here are some of the best exercises to fix tech neck, designed to counteract the forward head posture and bring your body back into alignment. Let’s tackle muscle knots in the neck and upper back with our favorite Tiger Tail tools.

Tiger Cane™ Acupressure Massage Hook is an excellent tool for those hard-to-reach muscle knots in the middle of the back, along the neck, and along the shoulder blade (scapula). 

Tiger Cane Acupressure Massage Hook

The Knotty Tiger® Pro Hand-Held Knot Buster® is a hand-held muscle knot tool that delivers “elbow deep” pressure and can “dig” into some of the rigid, tight muscles of the neck and upper back.

Knotty_Tiger_silo_hr_TigerTailUSA-1
Knotty Tiger® Pro Hand-Held Knot Buster
Knotty Tiger Knot Buster Shoulder Massage
Knotty Tiger Knot Buster Neck Massage

The Tiger Ball® 2.6 Massage-on-a-Rope® is a game changer. You will never lose control of the massage ball thanks to the rope that keeps it securely in place. Lean into those knots between your shoulder blades.

TigerBall-Web
Tiger Ball 2.6 Massage-on-a-Rope
Screen-Shot-2018-09-25-at-1.44

One of our favorites for the neck and back of the head is the Tiger Ball® Peanut 4.4 Peanut Foam Roller. Resting your neck on the peanut, massages and stretches the tight neck muscles.

Tiger Ball Double 4.4 Peanut Foam Roller
Tiger Ball Double 4.4 Peanut Foam Roller
Neck massage with Tiger Ball 4.4 Peanut Foam Roller

Follow up with neck and upper back stretches.

Neck Tilts/Side Stretches: Relieves tension in the side of your neck.

  • How to do it: Gently tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear towards your shoulder. You can use the opposite hand to gently deepen the stretch.
  • Repetitions: Hold for 15-30 seconds, repeat 2-3 times on each side.
  • Benefits: Stretches the upper trapezius and levator scapulae muscles.
Neck Tilts/Side Stretches: Relieves tension in the side of your neck.
Neck Tilts/Side Stretches: Relieves tension in the side of your neck.

Shoulder and Upper Back Stretch:

  • How to do it: Stand behind a chair and place your hands on the backrest of the chair about shoulder width apart, keeping your arms straight. Hinge at the hips and keep the spine in a neutral position.
  • Repetitions: Let the chest sink gently towards the floor and hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.
  • Benefits: Stretches the chest muscles, relieves tension in the shoulders and upper back, promotes extension through the mid back (thoracic spine), and decompresses the vertebrae in the upper back.
Shoulder and Upper Back Stretch

How Can I Prevent Tech Neck?

There are several tech neck prevention strategies that you can incorporate:

  • Maintain proper ergonomics: Position your computer monitor at eye level. Use an external keyboard and mouse with laptops. For smartphones, try to hold them higher, bringing the screen to your eye level rather than dropping your head.
  • Take frequent breaks: Follow the “20-20-20 rule” for eye strain (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds), and add in short stretches for your neck and shoulders. Set a timer if you need a reminder!
  • Prioritize movement: Avoid prolonged static postures. Stand up, walk around, and stretch regularly throughout your day.
  • Practice good posture awareness: Be mindful of your posture even when not using devices. Keep your ears over your shoulders, and your shoulders relaxed and back.
  • Practice self-care techniques: Techniques such as self-myofascial release, stretching, and strengthening exercises are beneficial.

Key Takeaways

  • Tech Neck is a Common Issue Caused by Device Use: Tech neck describes chronic neck and shoulder pain, stiffness, and soreness resulting from prolonged poor posture while using electronic devices.
  • Forward Head Posture Significantly Increases Neck Strain: Your head’s effective weight on your neck can dramatically increase with even slight forward tilts.
  • Symptoms Extend Beyond Neck Pain: Besides persistent neck and shoulder pain and stiffness, tech neck can cause headaches, visible forward head posture and rounded shoulders, and numbness or tingling in the arms and hands, or even jaw pain.
  • Targeted Exercises and Tools Can Help: Tech neck is often manageable through stretching tight muscles, strengthening weak ones, and improving overall posture.
  • Prevention and Self-Care are Crucial: Preventing tech neck involves maintaining proper ergonomics, prioritizing movement, practicing good posture awareness, and incorporating self-care techniques like self-myofascial release, stretching, and strengthening exercises.

Conclusion

Tech neck doesn’t have to be a permanent fixture in your life. By understanding causes, recognizing the symptoms, and consistently incorporating these practical exercises and preventative measures, you can break free from the cycle of screen strain and reclaim a healthy, pain-free neck and upper back.

References

Piruta, J., & Kułak, W. (2025). Physiotherapy in Text Neck Syndrome: A Scoping Review of Current Evidence and Future Directions. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(4), 1386. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14041386

Shinde, S., & Bhende, R. (2023). Evidence Based Treatment Strategies For “Text Neck Syndrome”: A Review. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, 13(2), 245–257. https://doi.org/ 10.3126/ijosh.v13i2.48679

For more information on our awesome tools and programming:

Website: www.tigertailusa.com

Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program.

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JulieZuleger

About the Author: Dr. Julie Zuleger

Dr. Julie Zuleger has over 20 years of experience as a Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Corrective Exercise Specialist, RYT-500 Yoga Instructor, and Human Movement Specialist. Julie promotes self-care using massage tools and stretching-based programs and teaches continuing education courses for yoga teachers, massage therapists, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning, fitness, and wellness professionals. Julie holds a PhD in Education and is the Director of Kinesiology and Education at Tiger Tail USA.

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