OKC Metro Health Expert Explains Causes, Relief For 'Tech Neck'

Health officials are worried that spending all day looking at phones is not just causing eye problems, but problems in people's necks as well.

A condition known as "tech neck" is the stressing of the muscles while looking down at items such as phones or computers for long periods of time.

Experts said you may feel this after a long day at work, especially in your neck or shoulder.

A physical therapist in the Oklahoma City metro said their office is seeing a lot of patients come in for this reason.

Lynn Smith from Select Physical Therapy said tech neck can be corrected through exercise. 

“You can work on actively moving your shoulder blades back, you can work on stretching out those nerves and getting the circulation going," Smith said. "Also, just stretching, specifically, stretching out your neck. Those big upper trap muscles get super tight when we are up like this."

Other symptoms Smith said people can look for are finger numbness, tingling in the hands and a headache.

If you deal with these problems regularly, Smith said she recommends seeking help, and that unresolved symptoms can lead to serious issues like a bulging disk or compressed vertebrates.

Smith said a tip for those spending a lot of time on devices is to give yourself two to three minutes every 45 minutes to an hour to stretch the muscles and ease any tension.