08/10/2026
💆♀️ LET’S TALK ABOUT MASSAGE: TECH NECK
If you spend any time on social media, you’ve probably heard the term “tech neck.”
But what actually is it? And does everyone who looks down at a phone have it?
Not exactly.
📱 WHAT IS “TECH NECK”?
“Tech neck” isn’t a medical diagnosis. It’s a term commonly used to describe neck, shoulder, and upper-back discomfort associated with spending long periods looking down at phones, tablets, laptops, gaming systems—or even books.
And yes—I see patterns associated with it on my massage table all the time.
But your phone isn’t necessarily the villain.
Our bodies are designed to move into different positions. The bigger problem is often spending too much time in one position without enough movement, strength, or variation.
You may notice:
• Neck and upper-back tightness
• Aching between the shoulder blades
• Tired or tense shoulders
• Headaches
• Reduced or uncomfortable neck movement
• Constantly wanting to stretch or “crack” your neck
• Rounded shoulders or forward-head posture
• Tightness through the chest
• Jaw tension
🙌 WHAT DO I SEE ON THE MASSAGE TABLE?
Every body is different, but with clients who spend a lot of time on phones, computers, driving, gaming, studying, or doing detailed work, I commonly find tension patterns involving the:
Upper trapezius • levator scapulae • suboccipitals • SCM • scalenes • pectorals • muscles surrounding the shoulder blades
And sometimes the place that hurts isn’t the only place we need to work.
That’s why my massage style isn’t simply, “Your neck hurts, so let’s dig into your neck.”
I look at how the neck, shoulders, chest, upper back, shoulder blades, and surrounding tissues are working together.
Depending on what I find and what is appropriate for the client, I may incorporate Swedish massage, deeper therapeutic work, compression, Gua Sha, cupping, passive movement, stretching, and focused head, neck, and shoulder work.
Massage may help:
✨ Reduce muscular tension
✨ Improve comfortable range of motion
✨ Encourage circulation
✨ Relax overworked tissues
✨ Reduce stress-related muscular guarding
✨ Improve body awareness
✨ Support better movement between sessions
But massage is only one piece.
Movement matters. Strength matters. Changing positions matters. Taking breaks matters. Home care matters.
🧒 AND WHAT ABOUT ADOLESCENT “TECH NECK”?
This is an area I think deserves more conversation.
Kids and teenagers are spending significant amounts of time using phones, tablets, computers, and gaming systems—often while their bodies are still growing and developing.
That doesn’t mean we need to panic every time we see a teenager looking down at a phone.
But persistent discomfort, headaches, limited movement, or significant postural changes shouldn’t automatically be brushed off as “they’re just on their phone too much.”
Pediatric and adolescent massage can have a place in this conversation, too.
With appropriate parental/guardian involvement and age-appropriate care, massage can support relaxation, body awareness, and muscular comfort.
It also gives us an opportunity to teach young people something many adults don’t learn until much later:
Pay attention to your body before it starts screaming for your attention.
Persistent or worsening pain, numbness or tingling, weakness, significant headaches, injury, or other concerning symptoms deserve evaluation by the appropriate healthcare professional.
Massage therapists don’t diagnose “tech neck.”
We work with the muscles, soft tissues, movement restrictions, and tension patterns that can accompany the way you work, study, train, drive, play, and use technology.
Sometimes the answer isn’t simply “sit up straight.”
It may be:
Move more. Get stronger. Change positions. Stretch. Put the phone down occasionally. And give those overworked muscles some care.
🌿 READY TO GET ON THE MASSAGE TABLE?
Massage appointments are available at Mother Maiden Crone Apothecary & Bodywork Shop — Grantsville, MD.
Whether you’re dealing with neck and shoulder tension, headaches, postural strain, everyday aches and pains—or you simply need time to relax—your session is customized around what your body needs that day.
📍 Grantsville, Maryland
📞 301-859-0354
💻 Book online: mothermaidencronebodywork.com
Backwoods Care. Intentional bodywork. Education that continues beyond the massage table.
💆♀️ Let’s Talk About Massage.
The more you understand your body, the better you can care for it.
