What is “Text Neck?”

How many hours every day do you spend staring at your phone, leaning your neck forward or to the side in an unnatural position? Probably too many.  

“In today’s digital age, we rely on our smartphones for a wide range of day-to-day activities, including work, social interactions, communication, entertainment, and navigation,” says orthopedic spine surgeon Eduardo C. Beauchamp, MD. “More and more patients are coming to me with problems that started as neck pain and quickly led to disc issues with persistent arm pain and/or weakness.”

Dr. Beauchamp explains the issues he sees resulting from “text neck,” and shares his insights on prevention and treatment.

How should a healthy neck be positioned, look, and feel? 

A healthy neck should be aligned and balanced with the rest of the spine. That means your head and ears should be in line and level with your shoulders. Notice if your chin is up, down, or in a neutral position when testing your alignment. Your neck should feel relaxed, with no strain or tension, when you are sitting or standing.

What happens when a neck is out of position? 

If the neck is in a flexed position, such as looking down at your phone, for a prolonged period, it can create significant tension and strain. This strain causes upper back and neck muscles to work harder than usual, and places extra stress on the disc spaces that serve as cushions between the bones in your neck.

In the short term, you could experience pain and stiffness in the neck and upper back.

In the long term, you could develop early disk degeneration, arthritis, disc herniations, and pinched nerves that cause arm pain and/or weakness.

What does text neck look and feel like? 

Text neck usually looks like a forward and downward head and neck posture with the shoulders rounded or hunched. 

The average adult head weighs approximately 10-11 pounds. When the head tilts forward, the muscles on the back of the neck must support that weight at an angle. This persistent posture may cause the neck and upper back to feel sore and stiff and can lead to headaches.

If you’re experiencing persistent neck or arm pain, numbness, weakness, or associated balance issues, reach out to a health care provider.

Do you treat neck injuries related to phone use, and specifically texting? 

I am seeing younger patients complain of persistent neck pain, some of whom admit to spending many hours on their phones or tablets. Although it is hard to say whether this is entirely related to the use of their phones, this certainly may be a contributing factor to their neck pain.

Typically, people come to see a spine surgeon when they have persistent neck or arm pain with associated numbness, tingling, and/or weakness.

Can text neck be corrected? 

Yes. Ideally, you could prevent it with a combination of neck muscle exercises, as well as modifications to your posture and activities.

But if you are already experiencing neck pain, the initial treatment will likely be physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications.

If you have persistent arm pain, weakness, balance issues and/or any neurologic symptoms, you may need advanced imaging studies, such as an MRI, to see what is happening. A spine surgery consultation may make sense.

What does every patient seem to ask about text neck, and what is your response? 

Will prolonged use of my phone cause permanent neck damage?

It is hard to say. The increase in the use of smartphones and tablets is relatively new, so it is hard to predict the direct long-term permanent effects on neck health.

What’s the #1 thing to know about text neck? 

Taking care of your neck now with posture and strengthening exercises may help prevent long-term degeneration and discomfort.

It makes sense that repetitive stress along the intervertebral disc caused by poor neck posture leads to early degeneration and pinched nerves. So why risk it?