16 December 2025

Why Does My Neck Hurt? Tech Neck, Spondylosis, and More

Neck pain is rising in the digital age. Learn about 'Tech Neck', cervical spondylosis, and other common causes of neck stiffness and pain.

Why Does My Neck Hurt? Tech Neck, Spondylosis, and More

Your head weighs about 5kg. But when you bend your neck forward to look at your phone, the effective weight on your spine increases to 27kg.

That is like carrying an 8-year-old child around your neck for hours a day.

Welcome to the era of Tech Neck.


Common Causes

1. Tech Neck (Text Neck)

Strain caused by looking down at screens.

  • Symptoms: Stiffness, headaches, pain between shoulder blades.

2. Cervical Spondylosis (Arthritis)

Wear and tear of the neck discs and joints as we age.

  • Symptoms: Grinding sound when turning head, stiffness in the morning.

3. Disc Herniation

A slipped disc in the neck can press on nerves going to the arm.

  • Symptoms: Electric shock pain shooting down the arm into the fingers.

4. Sleeping Posture

Using a pillow that is too high or too flat can twist the neck all night.


Quick Fixes

  • Raise Your Phone: Hold it at eye level.
  • Chin Tucks: An exercise to reverse the forward head posture.
  • Ergonomic Pillow: Use a contour pillow that supports the natural curve.

Takeaway

Neck pain is often a lifestyle disease. Fix your habits, and you usually fix the pain.

Dr. Abhijit Kale

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