Did you know tech neck is actually a chest problem?

If you are reading this while sitting at a desk or commuting, take a moment to do a quick body scan.

Are your shoulders rounded forward? Is your chin jutting toward your screen?

Most of us in London spend hours in this C-shape position, and eventually, the back of the neck starts to ache, burn, or feel incredibly stiff. Have you experienced this? If yes, like many others, your natural instinct is to rub the back of the neck or stretch the top of the shoulders.

However, at Acubody, we often find that the real culprit isn’t where the pain is. It’s actually on the opposite side of your body. As a clinic specialising in London Myofascial Release, we look at the body as an interconnected web, and when it comes to tech neck, the primary driver is almost always a tight, constricted chest.

Yes, your tech neck might actually be a chest problem, and here’s what you need to know.

How a tight chest pulls your neck out of alignment

Think of your fascia, which is the connective tissue that wraps around your muscles, like a tight-fitting sweater. If you pull the fabric on the front of the sweater down and inward, you’ll immediately feel the fabric tighten across your back and neck.

When we sit over laptops or phones, our pectoral (chest) muscles and the surrounding fascia shorten and thicken. Because this front line is so strong, it physically pulls your shoulders forward. Your neck muscles then have to work overtime just to keep your head upright. They aren’t the cause of the problem; they are the victims of a tug-of-war they are losing.

If we only treat the back of the neck, we are ignoring the anchor that is pulling you out of alignment in the first place.

Why Myofascial Release succeeds where stretching fails

You might have noticed that stretching your neck feels good for five minutes, but the tension always returns. This is because a traditional 30-second stretch only targets the muscle fibres, not the tough, collagenous fascial adhesions holding your ribcage in that slumped position.

In our clinic, we use Myofascial Release to apply sustained, gentle pressure to melt those restrictions in the chest and the front of the neck. This doesn’t just relax the muscle; it changes the length of the connective tissue.

By releasing the front, we take the literal weight off the back. It’s like finally letting go of that tight sweater, and suddenly, your head sits effortlessly back over your shoulders where it belongs.

Connecting structural release with Chinese Medicine

This physical restriction in the chest also has a significant impact on your internal health, a concept we prioritise in London Chinese Medicine. When the chest is physically collapsed and the fascia is tight, it constricts the area around the lungs and the heart meridian.

Clinically, we see that patients with tech neck often experience shallow breathing, a sense of heaviness in the chest, or even increased midday anxiety. By opening the chest through acupuncture and fascial work, we aren’t just fixing a postural ache; we are helping you breathe deeper and restoring the flow of energy through the upper body.

Small (but significant) shifts for your daily London life

While professional release work is the most effective way to change these deep patterns, you can start the process at your desk:

• The Doorway Stretch: Stand in a doorway, place your forearms on the frame, and gently lean through. Focus on the stretch across the front of the shoulders, not just the arms.
  
• The Eye-Level Rule: Whether you are on the Tube or at your desk, bring your screen up to your eyes rather than dropping your chin to your chest.

How can we help?

At Acubody, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all treatments. We spend time assessing how your specific habits, whether it’s the physical bracing of a long commute or the stress of a high-pressure job, have shaped your frame.

If you feel like you’ve been fighting a losing battle with neck pain, the answer might be to look forward rather than backward. Feel free to reach out to us for a chat or a discovery session.