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Text Neck Pain: Why the Popular Narrative is Wrong

  • Writer: Yannick Sarton
    Yannick Sarton
  • Mar 6
  • 3 min read

Updated: Nov 28


Asian girl having neck pain due to smartphone.

(Of course, this article is purely a joke! But I want to draw your attention to how easily certain beliefs spread on social media, often without solid justification.)


The idea that excessive smartphone use and prolonged neck flexion cause neck pain is widely accepted. You hear it everywhere: social media, blogs, infographics, YouTube health channels.However, these claims are often speculative, oversimplified, and based on a distorted interpretation of scientific research.



When researching the relationship between texting posture, smartphone use, and neck pain, it is essential to ensure that studies follow strong methodology. The surprising reality is that researchers have found no strong evidence linking excessive smartphone use to neck pain.This goes directly against what most people believe.



Posture and Neck Pain: A Misunderstood Relationship


What we believe about our body shapes the way we behave, how we move, and how we respond to pain. In 2020, a key study disproved the commonly repeated idea that posture causes low back pain.This is not a trivial detail — correcting misconceptions can genuinely help patients recover better.

The key message is simple:Fixating on keeping a perfect posture to avoid neck pain is misleading.Your spine is designed to be strong, adaptable, and tolerant. The real issue is not posture itself, but a lack of movement. Stiffness and discomfort arise when positions are held for too long, not because the position is “wrong”.


And most importantly:There is no scientific evidence linking “text neck” with neck pain.No consensus. No clear causal link. Only repeated myths.



The Myth of the Perfect Posture

If a universal perfect posture existed to prevent neck pain, we would have discovered it long ago, and neck pain would essentially not exist anymore. This alone shows how much more complex the problem is.


Modern clinical science has moved away from rigid posture prescriptions. Instead, it encourages:

– movement variability– confidence in normal positions– gradual exposure to activities– reducing the fear of “wrong” postures


Pain is not an alignment problem. It is a complex interaction between tissues, habits, stress, sensitivity, and context.


A More Accurate Perspective


Your neck doesn’t need a perfect angle to stay healthy. What it needs is movement, variety, and the ability to adapt to different positions throughout the day.


Changing posture regularly is a far better strategy than aiming for a position that supposedly prevents pain.


If you want guidance


I’m Yannick Sarton, MSc Physiotherapist and Osteopath.If you have questions about neck pain, posture myths or movement strategies, I’m available to help. You can learn more about my work on my website and book a session in Phnom Penh, BKK1.


Whether you are in Phnom Penh or abroad, you can book your next in-clinic or online physiotherapy session today.I’m available worldwide for online consultations — simple, fast, and evidence-based.


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  1. Correia IMT, Ferreira AS, Fernandez J, Reis FJJ, Nogueira LAC, Meziat-Filho N. Association Between Text Neck and Neck Pain in Adults. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2021 May 1;46(9):571-578. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000003854. PMID: 3329031.


  1. Swain CTV, Pan F, Owen PJ, Schmidt H, Belavy DL. No consensus on causality of spine postures or physical exposure and low back pain: A systematic review of systematic reviews. J Biomech. 2020 Mar 26;102:109312. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.08.006. Epub 2019 Aug 13. PMID: 31451200.


  2. Grasser T, Borges Dario A, Parreira PCS, Correia IMT, Meziat-Filho N. Defining text neck: a scoping review. Eur Spine J. 2023 Oct;32(10):3463-3484. doi: 10.1007/s00586-023-07821-2. Epub 2023 Jul 5. PMID: 37405530.


 
 
 

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