The Hidden Connection Between Sitting and Tech Neck Syndrome
- Raymond Joyce
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Why Your Daily Posture Is Hurting Your Neck and How Raymond Joyce Massage Can Help
In today’s screen-heavy world, tech neck syndrome has become one of the most common reasons clients walk through the doors of Raymond Joyce Massage. What many people don’t realize is that this painful condition isn’t caused only by phones and laptops; it’s also deeply connected to how much we sit and the posture we fall into while doing it.
Whether you’re working at a desk, driving, scrolling on the couch, or gaming late into the night, long hours of seated posture can slowly reshape how your neck and upper spine function.
Here’s how it happens and how Neuromuscular Massage Therapy helps break the cycle.
Why Sitting Leads to Tech Neck
1. Forward Head Posture Becomes the Default
When we sit, our eyes naturally fall downward toward screens. This causes the head to shift forward, placing 30–60 pounds of compressive stress on the cervical spine. The neck muscles, especially the suboccipitals, upper trapezius, scalenes, and levator scapulae, work overtime just to keep the head upright.
Over months and years, this strain becomes chronic pain.
2. Tight Hips → Tilted Pelvis → Rounded Spine
Sitting shortens the hip flexors, which tilts the pelvis forward. When the pelvis tilts, the lumbar spine overarches and the thoracic spine rounds. This forces the head to jut further forward to maintain balance.
It’s a full-body chain reaction that ends right at the neck.
3. Weak Postural Muscles Make the Neck Do Extra Work
Hours of sitting weaken:
• Core stabilizers
• Glutes
• Rhomboids and mid-traps
• Deep cervical flexors
When these muscles switch “off,” the upper shoulders and neck switch “on.” This imbalance is a major driver of tech neck symptoms.
4. Reduced Blood Flow = More Trigger Points
Static sitting positions reduce oxygen flow to the neck and upper back. Less circulation means more:
• Knots
• Trigger points
• Stiffness
• Headaches
• Radiating shoulder pain
Especially in the SCM and suboccipitals.
5. Device Use Makes the Condition Worse
Almost all device use, phone scrolling, laptop work, tablet reading, happens while sitting. This combination amplifies cervical strain and feeds tech neck faster than almost anything else.
How Neuromuscular Massage Therapy at RJM Helps
At Raymond Joyce Massage, Neuromuscular Therapy is one of the most effective ways to relieve and correct tech neck because it works on the exact structures affected by prolonged sitting.
NMT helps by:
✔ Releasing suboccipital compression
✔ Reducing scalene and levator entrapment
✔ Restoring mobility at C4–C7
✔ Softening chronically tight upper traps
✔ Improving posture through balance and muscular re-education
✔ Reducing headaches, neck pain, and radiating shoulder discomfort
This is corrective work designed not just to make you feel better, but to help you function better.
Small Daily Changes Make a Big Difference
To protect your neck between sessions, keep these habits in mind:
• Raise screens to eye level
• Sit with the hips slightly above knee height
• Take movement breaks every 30 minutes
• Stretch the chest and hip flexors
• Strengthen the deep neck flexors and upper back muscles
Your neck will thank you.
Ready to Fix Your Tech Neck?
If you’re dealing with tightness, headaches, or neck pain from long hours of sitting, RJM can help you break the cycle and restore balance to your body.
Book your session today and get relief that actually lasts.
📍 Calabasas Studio
📞 (323) 603-9943
💆♂️ Neuromuscular • Deep Tissue • Sports • Relaxation
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