How Does Text Neck Cause Pain?

Text neck describes a repetitive stress injury or overuse syndrome in the neck, caused by prolonged use of mobile devices with the head bent downward and not moving. Also called tech neck, text neck is commonly associated with texting, but it can be related to many activities performed on phones and tablets while looking downward, such as surfing the web, playing games, or doing work.

In an upright posture, the head normally weighs about 10 to 12 lbs. When the head is tilted forward, it can put additional strain on the neck, reaching up to 50 or even 60 lbs of pressure. Read How Poor Posture Causes Neck Pain

Head’s Weight Magnified

The weight of the head is a key factor for text neck pain. The neck’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments are meant to support the head’s weight—10 to 12 pounds—in a neutral
position balanced atop the cervical spine. When texting on a phone, it is common to bend the head forward and look down at a 45- or 60-degree angle, which places about
50 to 60 pounds of force on the neck. The neck is not able to withstand this amount of pressure over a prolonged period.