Protect Your Posture in a Digital World: A Georgetown Chiropractor’s Guide to Safer Screen Time

Constant phone and computer use can quietly damage posture, leading to neck pain, headaches, and shoulder tension. Research links prolonged device use and forward head posture with increased strain on the cervical spine and higher rates of neck pain, especially when people look down at screens for long periods. Learning simple ergonomic strategies and combining them with chiropractic care can make “safer screen time” part of a healthy daily routine.​

How Screens Affect Your Spine

When you tilt your head forward to look at a phone or laptop, the load on your neck increases significantly and the natural curve of the cervical spine can start to flatten. Studies have shown that longer smartphone use is associated with more neck pain, reduced neck muscle endurance, and flexed neck postures that overload discs, ligaments, and surrounding muscles. Over time, this “tech neck” posture can contribute to chronic stiffness, upper back pain, and tension headaches.​

Safer Screen Time: Simple Ergonomic Fixes

Building safer screen time habits starts with how your workstation and devices are set up. Aim to keep the top of your monitor at or just below eye level, with the screen about an arm’s length away, so your head can stay stacked over your shoulders instead of drifting forward. For laptop and phone use, raising the screen, using a stand or external keyboard, and following the “90/90” rule—hips, knees, and elbows at roughly 90 degrees—help maintain a neutral spine and reduce neck and back strain. Taking short movement breaks every 30–45 minutes further decreases the cumulative postural stress of sitting.​

How Chiropractic Care Supports Better Posture

Ergonomics alone is not always enough once pain and stiffness have set in. Chiropractic adjustments can help restore proper spinal alignment, reduce joint restrictions, and relieve muscle tension linked to prolonged screen use. Evidence suggests that spinal manipulative therapy can improve posture and reduce pain in people with chronic musculoskeletal issues by correcting abnormal curves and improving overall spinal function. Many patients also benefit from soft tissue therapy and targeted exercises that retrain the muscles supporting the neck, shoulders, and mid-back.​

Book with Thomas Back and Body in Georgetown

If you notice increasing neck or upper back pain, stiffness after a day at the computer, or a forward head posture in photos, it may be time to act. A chiropractic assessment at Thomas Back and Body in Georgetown can identify how your digital habits are affecting your spine and what can be done to correct it.

Through individualized chiropractic adjustments, muscle therapy, and a customized posture and ergonomics plan, Dr. Thomas can help you build healthier movement patterns and truly achieve safer screen time.

To protect your posture in today’s digital world, contact Thomas Back and Body in Georgetown or book an appointment online and start your personalized posture and spinal health plan.

References

Mayo Clinic Health System. (2024, April 9). ‘Tech neck’: Technology’s effect on your neck. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org

Tsantili, A. R., et al. (2021). Text neck syndrome: Disentangling a new epidemic. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9982850/

Elvan, A., et al. (2024). The association between mobile phone usage duration and neck pain and muscle endurance. Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-71153-4