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Did you know that Nerd Neck is a condition in which your head is set with your ears in a forward-facing position of your body’s vertical midline? However, in normal conditions, your ears align with your shoulders and mid-line. If you suffer from a nerd neck, you may experience neck pain, toughness, unstable walking, and other side effects. So, here is how to fix a nerd neck.

Although a nerd's neck is an unpleasant condition, the great thing is that you can fix it. You need to follow regular stretching and strengthening exercises and focus on maintaining good posture to re-establish a good posture.

How Does it Develop?

The primary reason this condition may develop is that you bend for a long time on the computer screen. Other reasons may include:

• Driving a car in a hunched position for long periods

• Lean forward for prolonged times

• Lifting heavy weights like a backpack

• Slouching for an extended period

• Sleeping with head at a very high position

• Reading in bed

• Whiplash injury

• Weak Muscles as You Age

• Osteoarthritis or Bone Relapse

• Inherited Deformity

What Are the Side Effects?

This condition may damage your upper backbone, neck, and shoulder muscles. All these muscles support your head. If you have a bad posture, it can overstress these muscles and the connective tissues. Hence, this impacts muscle length and strength. The muscles at your neck front get smaller and fragile, while the ones at the backside may stretch and tighten up. It may also impact your nerves, ligaments, and tendons connected to your muscles.

Hence, the side effects include:

• Severe neck pain that won’t go away

• Stiff neck muscles

• Limited range of neck motion

• Headaches

• Spinal pain

• Jaw pain

• Numbness and tingling

• Compromised balance control

• Muscle tremor

• Herniated disc or bulged disc

Which Exercises to Follow?

If you are worried about how to fix a nerd's neck, you should know that there are a majority of the stretches and exercises designed for this. You can follow them in your daily routine. Also, deep breathing can help improve your posture.

1- Jaw Tucks

You can perform jaw tucks anywhere while sitting or standing. The reason is that it helps fortify your neck muscles.

• Keep your skull in a straight position, and your jaw parallel to the ground. Pull your jaw back towards your abdomen as if you make a double chin posture.

• While your jaw is tucked in, shift the backside of your skull away from the neck base. Maintain this position while you take three deep breaths.

• Get back to normal position.

• Then repeat.

2- Jaw Tuck While Lying Down

This stretch (also known as chin tuck) is ideal for performing before you get up in the morning.

• Lie down while your backbone is flat.

• Roll a small towel under your neck.

• Tuck in your jaw.

• Then, get back to the normal jaw position.

• Then repeat.

3- Jaw Tuck While Standing Against a Wall

If you follow this exercise, you will be able to restore a good posture.

• Stand up while your shoulders, skull, and backbone are flat against the wall surface.

• Dash your jaw in.

• Maintain this posture for a few seconds.

• Return your standard jaw position.

• Then repeat.

• From the same beginning position, place both arms up against the wall while your hands are out.

• Roll your arms in an up-and-down position against the wall surface.

4- Forward Neck Stretch

It is a slight deviation from the primary jaw tuck exercise.

• While standing or sitting, tuck in your jaw while using two fingers of a single hand.

• Place your other palm on the top of your skull, and gradually push as you pull your skull towards your abdomen unless you feel a stretch.

• Maintain this position for 20 seconds.

• Re-establish the normal jaw position.

• Then repeat three times.

5- Yoga Posture for Neck Pain

A majority of yoga postures can help reduce muscle tension and pain. One of the best exercises to follow is:

• Stand while your feet are in line with your hips.

• Gradually bend forward and flex your knees.

• Move your palms to the ground or towards your lower legs.

• Tuck in your jaw and allow your head and neck to relax.

• If you can comfortably perform it, move your head as if you are sketching a circle. Or move it side to side as it helps release stress.

• Maintain the position for at least 60 seconds.

• Roll up your spine to stand. Then move your arms and head up.

6- Posture Aligning

If you want to improve your pain condition and enhance muscle strength and flexibility, you should focus on posture alignment. The initial thing is that you need to know the proper posture of standing, sitting, or walking. Also, if you have a desk-bound job, maintaining a proper posture is highly necessary. Here is how you can do it:

• Take a chair that can support your backbone.

• Keep your feet flat on the ground.

• Place your screen precisely at your eye level.

• Place your keyboard so that your hands do not get stressed.

• Use a mouse that does not bother your wrist.

Also, maintaining good posture requires knowledge and practice. If your normal posture is collapsing, you should work to improve it. For instance, avoid bending while using your phone or screen. Instead, keep it at your eye level.

How to Analyze Your Posture?

To know how your posture is, perform a small test:

• Stand straight against a wall while your head, shoulders, hips, and feet are in contact with the wall surface.

• Now roll your arms up and down against the wall surface ten times.

• When you are done with the workout and walking, your body needs to be correctly aligned.

What are the other Treatments of Nerd Neck?