Written by: Marelize Grobler
I recently read an article in Women’s Health about something they called “phone body” — the physical and mental effects that can come from the amount of time we spend looking at our phones.
It caught my attention because, as a physiotherapist, I see some of these patterns regularly. Also because I’ve experienced it personally!
Not because our phones have “damaged” our neck or spine, but because of what can happen when we spend hours in one position, concentrating on a small screen and moving less than we realise.
This is often referred to as tech neck — a term used to describe neck and upper-body discomfort associated with prolonged screen use.
Think about your own day – You may wake up and check your phone. You work on a computer. You look at your phone during your lunch break. You scroll while watching television. You answer messages or emails before bed.
None of these things are necessarily a problem. But together, they can add up to hours of looking down, sitting still and holding your body in a relatively small range of movement.
And that is where physiotherapy becomes relevant.
What exactly is “Phone body” and “Tech Neck”?
When we look down at a phone, the head moves forwards, the upper back may become more rounded, and the shoulders often adjust to help us maintain the position.
The muscles around your neck and upper back then have to work a lot harder to support your head. Research has found changes in neck and shoulder posture and increased muscle activity during smartphone use. Prolonged and frequent smartphone use has also been associated with musculoskeletal symptoms, including neck, shoulder and upper-limb discomfort.
But tech neck doesn’t mean that a rounded posture, looking down at your device, or sitting is automatically damaging your spine. Your body is designed to move into different positions.
The bigger issue is staying in the same position for too long without enough movement or variation – Your body needs movement options.
How can Phone Body and Tech Neck affect your breathing?
This is where the picture becomes more interesting. When you’re sitting hunched over a phone, your head, neck, shoulders, upper back and rib cage all influence one another.
As the upper body collapses forwards, the ribs can move closer towards the pelvis and the movement available through the chest and rib cage can change. This matters because your breathing system is part of the same system.
Your diaphragm sits underneath your rib cage and moves with every breath. Research has shown that forward-head and slumped postures can affect movement of the chest and rib cage and may influence breathing.
One study looking specifically at smartphone use found that an hour of sitting and using a smartphone was associated with a reduction in some measures of lung function.
This doesn’t mean that your phone is “stopping your diaphragm from working”. It means that the position you spend a lot of time in can influence the mechanics of breathing.
And then there is the breathing behaviour itself – Have you ever caught yourself holding your breath while concentrating? Or realised that you’ve been taking smaller breaths while working, scrolling or reading?
This isn’t unique to phone use, and there isn’t strong evidence that smartphones themselves cause dysfunctional breathing. But concentration, stress, prolonged sitting and a collapsed position can all influence how breathing feels and how freely your rib cage moves.
Tech neck, headaches and your nervous system
There is another reason the neck is worth looking at: The upper part of your neck has a close relationship with the nerves that carry information from your head and face. These signals interact with the trigeminal system in an area called the trigeminocervical complex.
This helps explain why tension or irritation around the upper neck can sometimes contribute to headaches or pain felt around the head and face.
So when your head sits forwards for long periods, it isn’t only your muscles and joints that are working differently. The way your neck moves and sends sensory information to your nervous system can also influence how you feel.
This is one reason that treating tech neck isn’t simply about being told to “sit up straight”.
Your eyes, posture and movement are connected
When you’re looking down at your phone, your visual attention becomes concentrated on a relatively small area in front of you. It’s easy to become less aware of what is happening around you.
Your eyes, balance system, breathing and musculoskeletal system are constantly working together to help you orient yourself and interact with your environment.
So perhaps phone body and tech neck aren’t just about a sore neck. It’s also about how much of your physical world becomes smaller when your attention is constantly directed towards a screen.
Look up. Look around. Look into the distance. Move.
Give your nervous system different information to work with.
How can you reduce Phone Body and Tech Neck?
Give your body more options.
Raise your screen when you’re reading for longer periods. Change position regularly. Move your neck and shoulders.
Stand up. Walk around.
Take a few comfortable breaths. Look into the distance.
Use your phone in different positions rather than always looking down.
And sometimes, simply put the phone down.
The goal movement variety.
How can physiotherapy help with Phone Body and Tech Neck?
This is one of the reasons physiotherapy isn’t simply about treating the place that hurts.
If you come to us with neck pain from phone or screen use, for example, we don’t only look at your neck.
We may look at your upper spine, shoulders, rib cage, breathing, movement patterns, strength, mobility and the activities you spend your day doing.
We want to understand how your body is responding to the demands you place on it.
Hands-on treatment, including techniques such as Be Activated fascia work, may form part of the treatment where appropriate. But the aim isn’t simply to “release” a tight muscle and send you home. We combine treatment with breathing, movement and targeted exercise to help your body develop more options, capacity and control.
Don’t just fix your posture. Restore your movement.
Your phone isn’t necessarily the problem. But the way we use it can become part of the problem when movement, variety and awareness disappear from our day.
If tech neck, phone use or prolonged screen time is leaving you feeling stiff, tight or uncomfortable, it may be worth looking beyond your posture and looking at the bigger picture.
At Just Physio, we can help you understand how your body is moving, breathing and responding to the demands you place on it — and help you move with more freedom and confidence. Empowering you toward healing and feeling great!
Call us to make your appointment today! Or simply book online.
References:
- Eitivipart, A.C., Viriyarojanakul, S. & Redhead, L. (2018).
Musculoskeletal disorder and pain associated with smartphone use: A systematic review of biomechanical evidence. Hong Kong Physiotherapy Journal, 38(2), 77–90. - Kang, K.W., Jung, S.I., Lee, D.Y., Kim, K. & Lee, N.K. (2016).
Effect of sitting posture on respiratory function while using a smartphone. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(5), 1496–1498. - Jung, S.I., Lee, N.K., Kang, K.W., Kim, K. & Lee, D.Y. (2016).
The effect of smartphone usage time on posture and respiratory function. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(1), 186–189. - Bartsch, T. & Goadsby, P.J. (2003).
The trigeminocervical complex and migraine: Current concepts and synthesis. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 7(5), 371–376. - Wainio-Theberge, M. & Armony, J. (2026).
Manipulating posture implicitly through environmental constraints influences mood and risk-taking behaviour. British Journal of Psychology.
