Tech neck: neck pain from phones and screens, and what actually helps

What is tech neck?

Tech neck isn't a medical diagnosis. It's a name for neck and upper-back pain linked to spending long periods looking down at a phone, tablet or laptop, or sitting at a screen.

What research actually shows:

• A 2025 review of seven studies, covering more than 10,000 people, found that heavy smartphone use was linked to about twice the odds of neck pain (the studies estimated about 2.3 times).
• But a 2023 review of how "text neck" is defined found no scientific evidence that the bent-neck posture itself causes neck pain. The authors advised against calling postures "incorrect."

So the problem is more likely long, unbroken periods in one position and too little movement than any single "bad" posture. That's good news, because it's easier to change.

Symptoms

• aching or stiffness in the neck and shoulders, often worse at the end of the day
• tight, tender spots in the muscles between your neck and shoulders (trigger points)
• headaches starting at the back of the head
• pain between the shoulder blades

Pain, pins and needles or numbness spreading into your arm suggests a nerve may be involved; get assessed.
→ Cervical radiculopathy

When neck pain needs urgent help

How it's assessed

At your Maana Spine assessment, your physiotherapist asks about your work, screen use, commute and sleep, checks how your neck, shoulders and upper back move, assesses muscle strength and endurance, and checks for nerve involvement. You'll get a physiotherapy diagnosis and a personalised plan.

→ What happens at your spine assessment

What the research says

Exercise and hands-on care. The 2017 neck pain guideline from the American Physical Therapy Association recommends exercise and hands-on (manual) therapy for many types of neck pain.

Shockwave therapy (ESWT) for trigger points. Reviews show ESWT reduces pain from neck and upper-back (trapezius) trigger points more than sham treatment. Evidence that it beats other active treatments, such as dry needling, is weaker.

Posture. As above, heavy phone use is linked to neck pain, but research hasn't shown that a bent-neck posture by itself is the cause. That's why we focus on movement, strength and breaks, not on holding a rigid "correct" posture.

Practical tips

• Move often. Change position and roll your shoulders and neck regularly. Movement matters more than a single "right" posture.
• Raise your screen so you're not looking down for long periods. Lift your phone towards eye level when you can.
• Take breaks from long spells of scrolling, laptop work or riding.
• Stay active outside work. Regular exercise helps your neck and shoulders cope with long days.

These are general tips, not a substitute for an assessment.

When to book a spine assessment

Book an assessment if neck or shoulder pain keeps coming back, lasts more than a couple of weeks, causes headaches, spreads into your arm, or affects your work. Spine assessments are available at all five Maana Spine clinics in Kochi, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Aluva and Perinthalmanna. The consultation fee is ₹250, and no doctor's referral is needed.

Book a Spine Assessment · or call or WhatsApp +91 99950 09403