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Comment by nefitty | Hacker News Reader

Suboccipital release, SCM release, roller ball massage, posture correcting straps, staying hydrated (my rule: if I'm not drinking a whole gallon of water a day I'm probably not drinking enough), chin tuck exercises...

It's a constant struggle. The worst impact is probably phone use. Ultimately, I think the best path is to continually work on strengthening and stretching the neck muscles themselves, which reduces unconscious degenerative damage. The abs, chest and back muscles all have a part in the system too. If your chest muscles don't have enough elasticity, they contribute to pulling your head down further, and so on.

If all of that is too much to parse at once: do daily chin tucks.

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While succint, this is the best comment I think of the thread. The suboccipital muscles getting tight, weak scalenes that get too tight while opposing structures get overstretched, and one more to add: shoulder posture and dysfunction contribute majorly to neck issues.

What's shoulder dysfunction? Well a hunched or otherwise unusual posture that computer and phone usage encourage lead to mobility issues with the shoulder that eventually lead to joint issues too.

Relevant to the neck is the fact that the scapula attaches to the neck at multiple points and can contribute majorly to a situation where the neck muscles are overstretched or overtightened perpetually, and in a hypertonic state.

Yes, pull-ups and gym are great suggestions (although push-ups are not a great suggestion as they can contribute to chest tightness and forward shoulder positioning). But as someone experienced in suffering as well as the gym, my message is it's a hella lotta more complex than mentioned in these threads.

Oh and eye alignment issues can contribute. If your eyes don't align you might stare at your screens in a tilted way...

This will be a pandemic in 10-20 years, as a high percentage of the population will be affected.

I'm middle-aged and an IT guy, so I'm unfortunately the future. I cared little what was happening to my vertebrae and shoulder complexes in my 20s.

Thank you for the positive feedback. You made my day.

Your breakdown is a good window into the complexity of the systems involved here, and what's at stake. One looming fear I have, is that tools like VR headsets will make the coming tide rip through more people, more brutally. Our necks are so fragile and have such a huge impact on our breathing, eyesight, cognitive function, etc etc, that it's hard to overstate the importance of taking care of them.

One slight advantage programmers and knowledge workers have is that looking at the involved parts can become a fun game. What exercises have the highest benefit? What makes me feel better? What should I avoid on the basis of anecdotes, personal experience and physiological science?

I've found that making little discoveries around how these muscles work had an oversized positive effect on my wellbeing, with little cost. For example, just yesterday I discovered the muscle that runs from the edge of our lips up to the outside corners of our eyes. Kneading them a bit, getting them released, has made me feel like I just installed a brand new jaw on my head. It's a weird type of fun haha

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