HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — If you've been working from home during the pandemic, you may have noticed some pain in your neck and back. That could be because you're developing "tech neck."
Physical therapists in Huntsville say since the pandemic, they've seen more people complaining about symptoms that are all signs of tech neck.
Physical Therapist with Therapy South in Huntsville, Shaunta Clark, said, "A lot of patients will present with headaches, and the headaches can be front of the head. Typically they're in the back of the head, in the muscles in the back of the neck up in the back of the head. Neck pain, they can present with shoulder pain and they can also present with upper back and mid back pain."
Now that a lot of people have been working from home, tech neck is on the rise.
Physical Therapist with Nesin Therapy in Huntsville, Becky Deason, said, "They had a good set up at work and now they go home and their chair heights are different, and so we end up with not so much just down here but with this really awful kind of forward head trying to look at your keyboard."
To avoid tech neck, get up, move around, and make sure whatever screen you're looking at is at eye level.
Deason suggests putting a three ring binder under your computer.
"It allows your wrist to be more neutral. You can keep your shoulders down," said Deason.
She says to pay attention to how you're holding your head. Make sure your neck isn't pushed forward.
If you're already experiencing tech neck, there are some things you can do to ease the pain. Clark recommends getting a foam roller to lie on.
"Basically if they're laying on the floor, they put it back behind them and they lay on it, and let's say I'm laying down and it's back along my spine and open up. That's a great way to get you out of that forward flexed position," said Clark.
Whether you're back in the office or still working from home, it's important to invest in a work space that best fits you.
WATCH: Blood donations needed