Tech Neck and Desk Posture Care in Redmond, WA

Gentle NUCCA upper cervical care for neck pain, stiffness and headaches that build up over long days at a screen. No twisting, no cracking.

Book a New Patient Appointment Call (425) 437-9974

Free consultation. Exam and x-rays are separate services with their own fees.

Reviewed by Dr. Justin Schallmann, DC, NUCCA Part 2 Certified · Updated November 2026

"Tech neck" is the everyday name for neck pain, stiffness and tension headaches that build up when your head drifts forward over a laptop, monitor or phone for hours at a time. It isn't a medical diagnosis, but the pattern is real, and it's one of the most common things people in Redmond's tech community describe.

Our office is in Overlake, next to the Overlake Village light rail station. Dr. Justin Schallmann, DC, uses gentle NUCCA upper cervical chiropractic to address alignment of the head and upper neck, with no twisting, no cracking and no popping. Just as important, we'll help you change the desk and phone habits that keep the problem coming back.

What Is Tech Neck?

Your head weighs roughly 10 to 12 pounds. When it sits balanced over your shoulders, your neck muscles don't have to work very hard to hold it up. As your head moves forward and down toward a screen, the muscles at the back of your neck and upper back have to work harder and longer to keep it there.

Over a workday, that can mean tight, tired muscles, a stiff upper back, and pain at the base of the skull. The usual pattern looks like this:

01 · Head Forward

Your ears drift in front of your shoulders as you lean toward a screen or look down at a phone.

02 · Shoulders Round

Your shoulders roll forward and your upper back curves more, especially late in the day.

03 · Upper Neck Strains

To keep your eyes level, you tip your head back at the top of the neck, which loads the small joints and muscles just below the skull.

Common Symptoms

Neck pain or stiffness that gets worse through the workday
Tightness across the tops of the shoulders
Aching between the shoulder blades
Headaches that start at the base of the skull or the back of the head
Pain or tenderness where the head meets the neck
Jaw tension or clenching while concentrating
Reduced ability to turn your head, such as when checking a blind spot
Tingling into the arms or hands with certain positions
Feeling "off balance" or lightheaded after long screen sessions
Symptoms that ease on weekends or vacation

Several of these overlap with other conditions. See Headaches, Occipital Neuralgia, TMJ and Jaw Pain, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Cervicogenic Dizziness.

See a Physician First If You Have

A sudden, severe headache, or the worst headache of your life (call 911)
Weakness, numbness or clumsiness in an arm or hand that is getting worse
Neck pain with fever, unexplained weight loss or night pain that doesn't ease with rest
Neck pain after a fall, car accident or other injury that hasn't been evaluated
Trouble with balance, walking, vision or speech

Does Posture Really Cause Neck Pain?

The honest answer: it's part of the picture, but not the whole story. A 2019 review of 15 studies found that adults with more forward head posture tended to have more neck pain, but the link was not seen in teenagers. Stress, sleep, overall activity and how long you hold any one position all matter too.

You may have seen the claim that looking down at a phone puts "60 pounds" on your neck. That figure comes from a 2014 computer model estimating the load at different head angles. It is a useful illustration of why head position matters, but it was not measured in real people and doesn't prove that phone use causes damage.

What the research supports most consistently is that moving more and holding any one position for less time helps, and that targeted exercise can improve forward head posture.

A Better Desk Setup in 10 Minutes

These adjustments follow OSHA's computer workstation guidance:

Monitor height: set the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level.
Monitor distance: about an arm's length away, directly in front of you.
Laptops: raise the laptop on a stand and use a separate keyboard and mouse.
Two monitors: put the one you use most straight ahead, not off to the side.
Bifocals or progressives: lower the screen, or ask your eye doctor about computer glasses, so you don't tip your head back to read.
Chair: sit back against the backrest with your feet flat and your elbows close to your sides.
Phone: bring it up toward eye level and lower your eyes rather than your whole head.

Simple Habits Through the Day

Break up long sitting: stand up, walk or change position every 30 to 45 minutes, even for a minute.
Chin tucks: gently glide your head straight back, as if making a double chin, hold for a few seconds and repeat 5 to 10 times.
Shoulder blade squeezes: draw your shoulder blades back and down, hold briefly and release.
Look into the distance: every so often, look at something far away to rest your eyes and reset your posture.
Walk your commute: if you take light rail or walk part of the way, you're already building in movement.

Stop any exercise that causes sharp pain, dizziness, or numbness or tingling, and let us or your physician know.

How NUCCA Chiropractic May Help

NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) care is a precise, low-force chiropractic approach focused on the alignment of the head and upper neck, the area that works hardest when your head drifts forward. Learn more on our Gentle Chiropractic and NUCCA Chiropractic pages.

No Twisting

You lie comfortably on your side. Your neck is not rotated or pushed to end range.

No Cracking

No high-velocity thrust and no "pop." Just light, controlled hand contact behind the ear.

Measured First

Upper cervical x-rays measure the direction and amount of misalignment, and each correction is planned from those measurements.

Posture Checks

Posture measurements at each visit help track how your body is responding.

NUCCA Care May Help

Address upper neck alignment that may add to strain from long hours at a screen
Ease related neck tension and headaches at the base of the skull for some patients
Give you a clear plan for desk setup and daily habits
Provide a gentle option if you'd rather avoid neck cracking

NUCCA Care Does Not

Replace movement, exercise or a better workstation
Undo advanced disc degeneration or arthritis
Treat nerve damage that needs medical or surgical care
Fix symptoms caused mainly by stress, poor sleep or eye strain on its own

What to Expect

Free consultation: Every new patient starts with a free consultation with Dr. Schallmann to review your symptoms, your work setup and whether NUCCA care is a good fit. The examination and x-rays are not part of the consultation. They are separate services with their own fees, and we'll explain all costs before anything is done.

Visits 1 and 2 (about 1 hour each): If you move forward, your first visit includes an examination and precision upper cervical x-rays. Your second visit reviews the findings and includes your first gentle NUCCA correction.

Follow-up visits (about 15 minutes): We check your posture measurements and only correct your alignment when the checks show it's needed. Short visits are easy to fit around a workday.

Reassessment: We track your neck pain, headaches and posture over the first several weeks. Some patients improve and some don't, and we'll tell you honestly if care isn't helping.

Working With Other Providers

Physical therapist for a guided strengthening and posture exercise program
Primary care physician for symptoms that don't fit a simple strain pattern
Eye doctor if you squint or lean in to read the screen, or wear bifocals or progressives
Massage therapist for neck and upper back muscle tension
Your employer's ergonomics program, if one is offered, for a workstation assessment

What the Research Shows

The studies below look at posture and exercise in general. None of them tested NUCCA care, and there are no clinical trials yet on NUCCA for tech neck.

Mahmoud NF, Hassan KA, Abdelmajeed SF, Moustafa IM, Silva AG (2019)

The Relationship Between Forward Head Posture and Neck Pain: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 12(4):562–577.

Reviewed 15 cross-sectional studies. Adults with more forward head posture tended to have more neck pain, while the link was not seen in adolescents. Cross-sectional studies show an association, not cause and effect.

[DOI]

Sheikhhoseini R, Shahrbanian S, Sayyadi P, O'Sullivan K (2018)

Effectiveness of Therapeutic Exercise on Forward Head Posture: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 41(6):530–539.

Pooled 7 randomized trials with 627 participants. Corrective exercise improved measures of forward head posture. The authors note that the link between those posture changes and pain still needs to be established.

[PubMed] [DOI]

Hansraj KK (2014)

Assessment of Stresses in the Cervical Spine Caused by Posture and Position of the Head.
Surgical Technology International, 25:277–279.

A computer model estimating the load on the neck at different head angles, the source of the widely shared "60 pounds" figure. It is a modeling estimate, not a measurement in people.

[PubMed]

OSHA: Computer Workstations eTool

Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.

Practical guidance on monitor height and distance, chairs, keyboards and work habits. The eTool is guidance, not a legal requirement.

[OSHA]

Research findings describe groups of people, not guaranteed individual outcomes. Your evaluation will determine whether NUCCA care is appropriate for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a chiropractor help with tech neck?

It may help, as one part of the plan. NUCCA care addresses alignment of the head and upper neck with gentle, precise corrections. The best results usually come from combining care with a better desk setup, regular movement and exercise.

Will you crack my neck?

No. NUCCA corrections use light hand pressure behind the ear with no twisting, thrust or popping.

Can tech neck cause headaches?

It can contribute. Tension in the muscles and joints at the top of the neck can refer pain into the back of the head, and sometimes behind the eyes. Headaches have many causes, so a sudden, severe or unusual headache needs a medical evaluation. See our Headaches page.

Is a standing desk better?

A standing desk helps mainly because it makes it easier to change positions. Standing all day has its own problems. Alternating between sitting and standing, and setting the screen at the right height for both, tends to work better than either one alone.

Can posture be corrected?

Research shows exercise can improve measures of forward head posture. Habits matter as much as any treatment, because the posture you hold for hours each day is what your body adapts to.

How often would I need to come in?

It depends on your exam findings and how your alignment holds. Visits are usually more frequent at first and spread out as things stabilize. Follow-up visits take about 15 minutes, so they're easy to fit around a workday.

Is the first consultation really free?

Yes. Every new patient starts with a free consultation. The examination and x-rays are not part of it. They are separate services with their own fees, and we'll explain all costs before anything is done.

Related Conditions

Get Ahead of Tech Neck

If long days at a screen are leaving you with neck pain, stiffness or headaches, start with a free consultation to see whether NUCCA upper cervical care is a good fit. Our Overlake office is next to the Overlake Village light rail station.

The examination and x-rays are not part of the consultation. They are separate services with their own fees.

Book a New Patient Appointment Call (425) 437-9974