Technology: A Real Pain in the Neck

We live in a hyper-connected world. Whether you’re checking messages on the promenade, working from a café in Gardens, or unwinding with a series at home, technology shapes life in Cape Town. But as useful as our devices are, they can bring an unwelcome side effect: a literal pain in the neck.

The Rise of “Tech Neck”

How often do you notice yourself hunched over your phone, chin tucked, and shoulders rounded forward? This posture, known as a “boiled prawn” to some, is often otherwise called “tech neck.” It is becoming more and more common as people spend hours looking down at screens. The further you bend your head down, the more load and strain builds on your neck, leading to stiffness, headaches, and upper back tension.

It often goes hand in hand with forward head posture , which we have explored in a previous post. The two go hand in hand with influencing not only your spine but also your overall health, mood, and longevity.

More Than Just Neck Pain

Neck stiffness might be the main complaint, but posture issues from tech use can cause other symptoms:

• Rounded shoulders: Constant forward-reaching to type or swipe can roll your shoulders forward, creating muscle imbalances and tension. Read more about rounded shoulders and how they affect posture and breathing.
  
• Headaches and migraines: Poor posture strains muscles at the base of the skull, triggering tension or cervicogenic headaches. We’ve covered how chiropractic care may help with headaches and migraines, which many tech users experience.
  
• Mood and energy dips: Research suggests slouched posture can contribute to physical discomfort and low mood. Check out our blog on spinal alignment and mood for more on this connection.
  

Finding Balance in a Tech-Driven World

Avoiding technology completely isn’t realistic, especially in Cape Town’s vibrant work and social scene. However, small adjustments can help protect your spine:

• Screen height: Raise devices to eye level to avoid looking down.
  
• Movement breaks: Get up, stretch, or take a walk every 30–60 minutes. Cape Town’s beautiful scenery offers the perfect reason to step outside.
  
• Posture awareness: Keep your ears in line with your shoulders rather than jutting your head forward.
  
• Ergonomic setups: At home or in the office, arrange your workspace to support good posture.
  

How Chiropractic Care May Help

Although the above external band aids may help a bit, it’s important to understand that if you’ve been using your tech for any amount of time and noticing the above postural misalignments, those are habits that need to be corrected, both consciously and subconsciously.

If neck pain has already set in, you’re not alone. At Roots Chiropractic, we see many people whose discomfort stems from hours spent on devices. Chiropractic adjustments may help by:

• Improving spinal alignment and easing muscle and joint strain
  
• Supporting nervous system function and brain-body connection, which influences how your brain perceives what your body is doing. Fixing the subconscious habits or wiring that you’re built up over the years…
• Encouraging healthier posture habits over time
  

We aim to help Capetonians—from Sea Point entrepreneurs to Woodstock creatives—keep enjoying what they love without tech-related pain holding them back.

Embracing Technology Mindfully

Technology is here to stay. It connects us, fuels work, and opens the world. But being mindful about how we use our devices can help prevent discomfort.

If you’ve noticed signs of tech neck, remember that change is possible. Small Chiropractic adjustments to your spine and upper back posture can keep your spine—and your lifestyle—aligned and thriving. In fact, tech neck and forward head posture are the most common things we see in practice—and have great, duplicatable results for correcting.

Be proactive with your neck and upper back to enjoy technology’s benefits without letting it become a literal pain in the neck.