The world has been suffering from a host of ill effects as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. One of the most little-known effects of so many people working and studying from home is the physical issue known as tech neck. Regardless of if you are an adult spending hours staring at your laptop or a child spending considerably more time playing video games, there is no doubt that people are looking at screens for far more hours of the day since the pandemic began.

Here is what you need to know about tech neck and how you can help to alleviate this issue.

What is Tech Neck?

Tech neck is the result of the unnatural body position that you assume when staring at a screen for a long period of time. As you gaze at the screen, your chin and shoulders fall forward and your neck tends to shift downward. This position can lead to stress on the upper back and neck, causing pain and discomfort.

There are a number of symptoms that you need to be aware of if you think you may be susceptible to developing this condition. Some of the most common tech neck symptoms include neck and upper back pain, stiffness, muscle spasms, headaches, numbness and tingling, and shoulder pain localized to areas that hunch forward. Aside from the general discomfort, tech neck can lead to poor posture.

If you know that you are at risk of developing tech neck, there are steps that you can take to reduce the severity and prevalence of this condition.

Change Up Your Work Station

One of the biggest issues with the explosion of home offices is that most people do not use ergonomically correct chairs. While you may have enjoyed these premium chairs while working in the office, there is a good chance that you do not have one at home. Investing in the right type of chair can do wonders for your physical comfort. Although it may be comfortable to work in your bed for a few days, doing this long-term can have disastrous consequences on your health and physical comfort. If you know that you are going to be working from home for the long haul, it is a good idea to invest in the right type of home office furniture and equipment.

Be Conscious of Your Posture

If you are not conscious of your posture as you are working or looking at a screen, you are only going to further exacerbate the problem beyond repair. For the best results, you should sit with your shoulders flush against the back of the chair. Putting your keyboard in your lap will prevent you from inadvertently pushing your chin and shoulders forward. Leaning over the desk to type will intensify the problems associated with tech neck.

Stretch, Stretch, Stretch

Muscles have a tendency to get stiff when sitting for long periods of time. Taking the time to frequently stretch will keep your muscles from stiffening up. In turn, this will help to reduce the prevalence of tech neck. Being proactive and performing exercises that will strengthen your upper back will also help to prevent tech neck from setting in.

If you are still seeing problems, you may want to consider seeing a chiropractor for an adjustment. A physical therapist will also be able to prescribe exercises to help you to avoid this situation.

Break Up Your Day

One of the greatest benefits of working from home is the opportunity that it affords you to break up your day and move your body. Use this flexibility in your workday to get up and move often. You should be stretching your body at least once per hour. Instead of sitting on the couch for your lunch break, try going for a long walk. This will keep your blood flowing and help to prevent your muscles from getting stiff.

All of these steps will add up if you are intentional about doing what you can to prevent tech neck. It is clear that this deadly virus is not going away any time soon, making it important that you take steps now to address your health and comfort through this challenging period of time.