Is Mask Neck The New Text Neck?
DO YOU HAVE “MASK NECK?”
Most of us have had to wear a mask at least once, if not all of time, since the COVID-19 pandemic started. If you have been wearing a mask regularly, have you noticed any changes? I, for one, have definitely noticed a few side effects from wearing a mask. I wanted to share my experiences in hopes of helping you prevent pains and injuries that may be caused by wearing a mask.
A term to describe repeated stress injury and pain in the neck resulting from excessive watching or texting on hand held devices over a sustained period of time.
— Dr. DL Fishman
Before we discuss “Mask Neck,” let’s review the popular “Text Neck.” This term describes the injuries and possible pains that come from texting, working on a laptop, and reading on your tablet to name a few. Modern day technology has caused an influx of worsening postures in all ages of the population. In summary, “Text Neck” is repetitive and sustained poor postures with every day activities.
Going back to “Mask Neck,” this idea parallels text neck as it is now part of everyday life (for most of us). About one week into wearing a mask at work, I started having sharp pains in my upper back with an occasional headache. At first, I assumed it was because 1) the classic “I’m dehydrated”, 2) increased time on my computer or 3) sleeping in weird positions. So, I took the necessary steps to improve by pain by being more conscious on my posture, avoiding fetal position when I sleep and attempting to drink more water. Unfortunately, none of this helped. I went back to the drawing board and realized that I only get neck and back symptoms when I am work, during the weekends, I feel great!
This made me think, what is the biggest difference between what I do at home and work? IT’S THE MASK! I only wear a mask at work but not while I am home. But how could my mask be causing me all this new pain? What I found, is that the mask blocks my peripheral vision. This causes me to look down even further than I normally would and stretch my neck forward to read my computer. Wearing a mask might just be exaggerating “Text Neck.”
Here are some tips to help you avoid “Mask Neck”
- Hold your phone directly at eye level
- Take breaks from wearing your mask when you are able
- Drink with a straw to help you stay hydrated and avoid excessive neck extension
- Do chin tucks to help prevent pain and injury to your neck
