Question
What are the most effective corrective exercise strategies for Tech Neck?
Answer
Correcting Tech Neck involves addressing muscle imbalances through a structured corrective exercise continuum: inhibit, lengthen, activate, and integrate. This four-step approach targets overactive and underactive muscles to restore proper postural alignment and function. The first step, inhibition, involves techniques such as myofascial release, manual therapy, or percussion massage to reduce overactivity in muscles like the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and pectoralis major. Next, lengthening focuses on stretching these tight muscles, using techniques such as doorway stretches for the pectoralis and cervical mobilization exercises to improve neck flexibility.
The third step, activation, strengthens the weakened muscles that support proper posture, including the deep neck flexors, lower trapezius, and rhomboids. Chin tuck exercises, scapular retraction drills, and resistance band exercises help reinforce postural stability. Finally, integration involves functional movement training, such as thoracic mobility exercises and full-body strengthening patterns, to ensure that these postural corrections translate into everyday activities. Complementary strategies, such as kinesiology taping for biofeedback, ergonomic modifications, and proprioceptive training, further reinforce long-term postural improvements. By consistently implementing this structured approach, individuals can reduce pain, improve spinal alignment, and mitigate the long-term effects of Tech Neck.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, "Strategies for Correcting Postural Dysfunction: Tech Neck," presented by Scott Cheatham, PhD, DPT, OCS, ATC, CSCS.
