Smartphones have become a part of our daily lives to the point of turning the screen into an extension of our hands. These screens serve multiple roles, from a wallet, fitness tracker, entertainment hub, to an office desk. While they do make life easier, they also come with hidden hazards.
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One such issue is tech neck. And not only with smartphones, even with laptops and computers, especially at work, the hunched posture is present. Tech neck is the common posture people have when using a phone, with the head and neck bent downward. Although this may feel instinctive, it can negatively impact major organs of the body, like the brain and heart.
HT Lifestyle reached out to a cardiologist and neurologist to understand the ramifications of the tech neck on health.
Brain
Dr Vivek Iyer, consultant- neurology at Institute of Neuroscience, SIMS Hospital, Chennai, told HT Lifestyle that if your neck is bent downwards, then it fogs up the brain. He cited a study from 2024, published in the International Journal of Physiotherapy and Research, where the findings showed that prolonged tech neck leads to cognitive fatigue.
Dr Iyer said, “The study found that when you tilt your head forward, your brain’s ability to sense touch, movement, and position slips like trying to judge distance through a fogged window. If you’ve got tech neck, your brain has to push harder, even to handle simple tasks, which drains your focus, leaves you tired, and slows your reactions.”
In other words, the brain feels disoriented and takes a longer time to process information.
Dr Iyer suggested these three things that you can do to relieve yourself from tech neck:
- Realign: Lift and use your phone to eye level so your head remains aligned with your spine. This change will send a positive signal to your brain instead of stress signals.
- Take breaks: Take mini breaks every 20-30 minutes. Stretch and exercise your neck, back or simply stand. This will restore blood flow and reset neural stimulation and rebuild muscular support.
- Support posture ergonomically: Sit in a slightly reclined chair (25–30°) with good lumbar support, which reduces neck muscle strain and takes pressure off brain-signalling systems.
Heart
While the connection of tech neck to the brain may not be surprising, given brain and spine are a part of the central nervous system, the body, at the end of the day, is an interconnected system, and poor posture can have a ripple effect even on the heart.
Dr Shilpa S Menon, consultant cardiologist at SIMS Hospital, Chennai, shared with HT Lifestyle that the hunched posture increases the heart workload via the sympathetic nervous system.
She explained, “Sitting hunched over working on your phone or laptop can lead to increased sympathetic nervous system activation, which can result in a baseline increase in resting heart rate, blood pressure, and thus putting a strain on your heart.” The cardiovascular risks are, anyway, higher with long hours of sitting.
To rectify it, the cardiologist recommended taking short walks around the office, climbing stairs before sitting down or intermittent stretching. Along with this, she also recommended stress management, sufficient sleep and eating nutritious foods.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.