‘Text neck’ is a relatively new phrase that some have been using to refer to pain in the neck associated with prolonged positions with the head tilted forwards. Many of us use handheld electronic devices in our daily lives and it’s thought that sustained periods with the head looking down at the screen can cause a build up of ‘strain’ associated with pain. The long-held belief by many that ‘bad posture’ causes pain has been refuted by recent research, but rather the evidence suggests that overly sustained positions of any posture are in fact the thing that can result in stiffness and pain. This underlines the old adage that ‘movement is medicine’ when it concerns the body.

Nonetheless, if someone develops pain associated with sustained positions or high stress, many will respond very well to hands-on treatment such as massage, or specific stretches to alleviate muscles.