Tech neck is a real thing (and I have it)

(neck adjusts)

- Yep, that's my neck.
It sounded pretty bad.

But, don't worry. It actually felt good.

I found myself in this position

because I spent too much
time in this position.

Years of crunching up and hunching forward

while using computers
has given me "tech neck."

Yeah, "tech neck."

I know, it sounds ridiculous,
but it is a real thing.

And apparently, I'm a classic case.

- I'm Dr. Mackenzie Hubert,

and I'm the chiropractor
at Manhattan Total Health.

- [Bridget] Her adjustments

are helping get my neck back in shape

because it's currently the wrong shape.

X-rays confirmed that years of bad posture

changed the curvature of my spine,

putting an extra strain on my vertebrae.

And it left me with upper back
pain that wouldn't go away.

- Your head has gone forward,

which is called forward head carriage,

which is an effect of "tech neck",

or a cause of "tech neck", you know?

And it happens over time.

This doesn't happen, you know,

over a week or two using a phone.

This is years.

- So, why does a little
hunch cause so much strain?

Your head normally weighs about 10 pounds,

like this bowling ball.

You know how the further
out you hold the ball,

the heavier and heavier it feels,

and you have to work harder to keep it up?

While just bending your
neck down 45 degrees

is like holding up a 50 pound head.

But, this doesn't have to be your story.

There are easy things you can
do to prevent "tech neck".

Start by changing how you hold your phone.

Stand up straight and try to
keep your arms to your sides.

And hold your phone like you're a T-Rex.

Now there's less reason
to bend your head forward.

Of course, it's good to sit
up straight at your desk.

And you could be better about it

by getting those feet flat on the floor

and put your elbows to your sides.

And the top of your monitor
should be at your eye level.

And the monitor should be

an arm's length distance away from you.

You can counter the strain

by bending your head back and look up.

It also helps to stretch your arms back,

squeeze your shoulder blades,
and roll those shoulders.

Pressing your head back into your hands

is another nice stretch.

But if stretches aren't enough,

be sure to talk to a doctor
and get professional help.

It's what I needed to feel better.