Waking up with a crick can be a real pain in the neck. You may feel soreness in your upper back area or neck when you're still, or a twinge when you're moving. Sleeping in a weird position is a well-known trigger, but an increasingly common cause is something we've all been doing a lot more of lately-staring at digital screens. “Tech neck'is a muscle strain in the neck and upper back from holding our heads in a forward or downward position as we work long hours on computers or scroll on our phones," says Karen Erickson, D.C., F.A.C.C., a chiropractor in New York City. The issue usually goes away in about a week (call your doctor if it lasts longer or gets worse), and there's more good news: You can take actions to feel better-or help prevent pain in the first place.
70% of adults will experience neck pain that interferes with their daily lives.
PREVENT IT
HACK YOUR SLEEP
This story is from the May 2022 edition of Prevention.
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This story is from the May 2022 edition of Prevention.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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