Summary: When your neck feels stiff and sore from staring at your smartphone too long, fix ‘text neck’ with posture correction, acupressure, and stretching.
Q: My Neck Really Hurts from My Smartphone — What Should I Do?
How many hours a day do you spend looking at your smartphone? On average, adults spend over 4 hours a day on their phones. With your head tilted down that entire time, it’s no wonder your neck hurts. That pulling sensation in the back of your neck, stiff shoulders, and in severe cases, tingling all the way down to your fingertips — this is ‘Text Neck.’
How Bad Is Your Smartphone for Your Neck?
Tilting your head just 15 degrees puts 12 kg of load on your neck, 45 degrees means 22 kg, and 60 degrees a whopping 27 kg. That’s like hanging a sack of rice around your neck! Enduring this load for hours every day is why your neck muscles are screaming.
Fix Your Smartphone Posture Right Now
80% of the solution is posture correction. It’s not difficult at all.
A: How to Correct Your Smartphone Posture
- Raise your phone higher: Instead of tilting your head down, bring your phone up to eye level. If your arm gets tired, rest your elbow on a desk or cushion
- Lean back: Sit back against a sofa or chair while using your phone. Lying face down while scrolling is the worst position
- 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 6 meters (20 feet) away for 20 seconds. Both your eyes and neck need rest
Acupressure & Stretching for Text Neck
Fengchi (GB20) Acupressure
Press firmly with your thumbs on the hollow spots on both sides at the base of your skull. Hold for 5 seconds, rest for 3 seconds, repeat 8 times. This provides refreshing relief to the back of your neck stiffened by smartphone use.
Jianjing (GB21) Acupressure
Press and hold the knotted area on top of your shoulder with the opposite hand for 5 seconds. Repeat 8 times on each side. Your stiff shoulders will feel much lighter.
Neck Stretching Routine
- Chin tuck: Pull your chin toward your neck to create a double chin. Hold 10 seconds x 5 reps
- Side tilts: Use your hand to gently pull your head toward the opposite side. 10 seconds each side
- Diagonal stretch: Use your right hand to pull your head diagonally forward and down to the right. 10 seconds each side. This stretches the side and back of the neck simultaneously
Changing Your Smartphone Habits
- Check and reduce your screen time using a screen time app
- Turn off social media notifications — you’ll look at your phone less
- Put your smartphone down 1 hour before bed
- Use voice commands and voice messages — less reason to tilt your head down
Frequently Asked Questions
If my neck hurts from my smartphone, should I just stop using it?
Realistically, you can’t stop using it entirely. Instead, change how you hold it, reduce screen time, and stretch regularly throughout the day.
Does a phone stand help?
Yes! A stand that brings the screen to eye level greatly reduces the angle you tilt your head. Use one especially when watching videos.
Can children get text neck too?
Forward head posture among children and teenagers is increasing rapidly. Since it has a greater impact during growth years, limiting screen time and teaching proper posture is truly important.
Is using a tablet instead of a phone better for neck pain?
A larger screen can slightly reduce head tilting, but poor posture causes the same problems. The key is propping it up on a stand at eye level.
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