Is 'Tech Neck' Causing Your Unexplained Shoulder and Upper Back Pain?
Sep 04, 2026
Your neck provides a lot more than just a connection between your head and torso; it’s the upper section of your spine (referred to as your cervical spine) containing the first seven vertebrae. It also protects and surrounds your spinal cord, supports your head, and allows a wide range of movement.
The bones, muscles, and other vital parts of this area of your body are used all the time, and it’s not uncommon to deal with injuries there from time to time. Tech neck, a term coined for our constant use of screens and the effect it has on our cervical spine, has become a common injury for millions of people. But do the pain and other symptoms stop there?
If you’re also struggling with upper back and shoulder pain, is it linked to tech neck? For issues regarding these musculoskeletal conditions and other orthopedic needs in the Fort Worth, Texas area, Dr. Joseph Daniels and the dedicated team at Southwest Orthopedic Associates are here to help.
Living in the modern world makes it very difficult to avoid constantly staring at digital screens for information and entertainment, and tech neck results from the way you position your head to look at those screens. Often referred to as "tech neck," this condition involves tilting your head forward to look down at a phone, tablet, or laptop screen and can lead to long-term neck damage.
The number of problems your neck experiences with this condition varies with the severity of your head angle: for every 15° you tilt your head down, you add neck stress. Tilting your head 15° is equivalent to 27lbs of stress, 30° equals 40 lbs, 45° equals 49 lbs, and 60° adds 60 lbs of stress to your neck.
When signs of this problem develop, expect symptoms such as pain, headaches, posture changes, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. Neck pain, whether it’s intermittent or persistent, is the most common symptom and can range from mild to debilitating.
Many of the other issues can easily develop as it worsens. Tension and cervicogenic headaches are often the types of head pain you experience when dealing with tech neck.
If you think of tilting your head down as comparable to having a bowling ball tilted over your neck and upper body, it may shed some light on the impact it can have on more than just the neck as the problems get worse. The equivalent of an eight-pound bowling ball (representing your head) means you’re adding 96 pounds to your shoulder and 72 pounds to your elbow.
If the tilting causes the pain mentioned in your neck, the subsequent impact of the weight it carries also creates pain in the shoulders, upper back (especially since the cervical spine is involved), and other parts of the upper body. In many cases, it results in musculoskeletal strain and can put additional pressure on the nerves.
Our bodies are filled with interconnected systems, and what happens in one part can affect others in ways we don’t always see. But with pain from tech neck, issues with shoulder and upper back pain are highly likely and will need treatment to manage.
Make an appointment with Dr. Daniels and the Southwest Orthopedic Associates team today to find relief from tech neck pain.