While technology like smartphones, tablets, and e-readers, can improve your quality of life, it comes with a price: being huddled over your devices for long periods of time can do more harm than good.
Using certain devices for extended periods of time can easily lead to neck strain, headaches, as well as pain in your shoulders, arms and hands. If you’ve used a smartphone or tablet for an extensive amount of time, you’ve probably experienced the strain it puts on your upper body. These conditions even have their own name: Text Neck.

Tips to Help You Avoid Text Neck Strain

1. Take frequent breaks
Take frequent breaks and look up from your device to give your neck some relief from the pressure of looking down.
2. Straighten up
It’s important to be aware of positions that may be causing neck or back pain, and avoid those positions.
3. Aim higher
Hold your phone or tablet closer to eye level. Give your arms and shoulders a break by propping up your device with a stand and/or use an external keyboard.
4. Stretch
Be sure to stretch often between long periods of extended use of devices. Put your hands at your sides and rotate your shoulders to relieve tension. You can also tuck your chin down to your neck and then lookup. This action helps relieve some of the tension built up in your neck due to the forward-down position we often adopt when looking at our device.
If you do experience pain from device use, consult a chiropractor to assess your specific needs and recommend a treatment plan that’s right for you. To find a chiropractor near you, use the chiropractor locator on our website. In Ontario, you can visit a chiropractor without a referral from a doctor, nurse practitioner or other health care professional.

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