TECH NECK:
Are 3 fat Cats Living on Your Head?
Dr Angus Steventon – Chiropractor
For Spinal Health Week 2025, I’m shining a spotlight on one of the most common issues I see in adults and children, alike: Tech Neck.
You might not feel it right away, but when you tilt your head forward to check your phone—even just 15 degrees—you’re placing an extra 12 kilograms of pressure on your neck muscles and joints. Since the average overweight house cat weigh about 4 kg, that’s the same as three rotund cats nesting on top of your head, straining your neck muscles and putting pressure on their anchor points in your shoulders and between your shoulder blades. It’s no wonder so many of us are experiencing headaches, tension, stiffness, and pain in the neck and upper back.
We chiropractors have a label for this— “Tech Neck”. I was already working as a chiropractor in the prehistoric period before the iPhone appeared, and it was a different time. There were still people hunched over desktop computers, but those computers didn’t follow them around all day. Now I see a modern epidemic thanks to the hours we spend on phones. Any spare moment is an opportunity to scroll social media, reply to work emails, or game after hours, and the way we hold our devices can have a long-term impact on spinal health.
What is tech neck?
Tech neck—also known as Tension Neck Syndrome (TNS)—is a musculoskeletal disorder caused by prolonged and non-ergonomic device use. It happens when we spend extended periods with our heads bent forward, placing unnatural strain on the cervical spine. Even a small angle of forward tilt dramatically increases the load on the neck muscles and vertebrae.
According to a 2025 Journal of Clinical Medicine study, a 15-degree forward tilt adds 12kg of pressure. What, you may ask, does 12 kg of extra load feel like? It’s about the same as carrying a full watermelon, a 4 x 3L milk containers, a small toddler, a heavy grocery bag, a bowling ball, a packed carry-on suitcase, or as I alluded to above, three hefty house cats.
It’s no stretch to see how this daily habit leads to neck pain, headaches, shoulder tension, and even changes in posture over time.
What I see in my day to day practice is tight ropey muscles in the shoulders, painful knots between the shoulder blades and very sore and tense muscles in the base of the spine (called the “sub-occipital region”. This area, when mechanically stressed for a long period, can often refer pain to other parts of the head, causing a “cervicogenic headache” (a headache that comes from the cervical spine.
How Chiropractic Can Help?
Chiropractic care is a low-risk, drug-free way to manage and prevent tech neck. Using gentle spinal adjustments and manual therapy, chiropractors help reduce pain, restore mobility, and correct the postural habits contributing to neck strain.
As qualified professionals, we’re here to support your spinal health with evidence-based care tailored to your lifestyle.
Spinal adjustments: Light, precise adjustments support healthy nerve function, reduce tension, and correct postural strain.
Posture coaching: We help kids (and parents!) understand how posture impacts the spine—and teach tools to fix it.
Muscle tension release: Through gentle manual therapies, we relieve tight muscles that can trigger tension headaches.
Sleep and ergonomics advice: Small changes in sleep position or how a child sits at school or during screen time can make a big difference.
I’m becoming increasingly worried about how tech neck is affecting young people.
In my experience as a chiropractor, the more hunched forward someone is while using a device, the more closely it tends to correlate with anxiety, stress, depression, headaches, and neck pain. It’s a pattern I’ve seen time and again—and it’s certainly not something I want for my three children, or for myself.
We’re seeing a rising tide of these issues, particularly among young people, and while researchers continue to debate the exact causes, one thing is clear: posture plays a significant role. Beyond the psychological effects of constant screen use and social disconnection, there’s a very real physical toll.
A forward head posture can reduce oxygenation to the brain, strain neck muscles, heighten pain sensitivity, and drive the body into a chronic state of tension—what we call the “warrior posture,” or a persistent fight-or-flight stance. It’s a recipe for both physical and emotional fatigue.
Hi, I’m Dr. Angus Steventon, a Chiropractor with more than 25 years’ experience.
I love treating people of all ages. I think my favourite sorts of cases are headaches and neck pain, but I really don’t mind what I’m seeing as long as I’m helping people function better!
You’ll find me at our clinics in West Gosford, Green Point and Wyong. I’ve lived on the Coast since 2010 and I’ve been working at CCSCC ever since.
I’d love to see you and your family members, so book in and I’ll do my very best to help you feel better!
