Painful cure for 'tech neck' that rising numbers of patients are demanding, doctors reveal

You may be guilty of doing it multiple times a day; hunching over your phone, putting an incredible amount of strain on your neck.

Many such Brits suffering ‘tech neck’, caused by bending to look at devices likes phones or tablets, are turning to Botox to help, medics have revealed.

Dubbed ‘traptox’, due to the trapezius muscles at the back of the neck that the injections target, the ‘tech neck’ cure will set people back £600.

It works similar to how the cosmetic injections work on wrinkles, by paralysing the nerve signals that cause muscles to contract, relaxing them, and in the case of the neck, improving mobility.

Some London medics are reporting seeing up to 10 patients a month seeking traptox to alleviate their tech neck pain, with some patients needing repeat jabs every six to 9 months.

Some London medics are reporting seeing up to 10 patients a month seeking traptox to alleviate their tech neck pain with some patients needing repeat jabs every six to 9 months. Stock image

Dr Ashwin Soni, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, told The Telegraph the number of patients seeking this treatment was increasing.

‘Lots of them are in pain because they are constantly bending their neck forward and not taking good care of their posture,’ he said.

‘I’m probably seeing up to 10 patients a month at the moment and most are over 40.

‘They may have spent years hunched over their desks or smartphones and not looked after their posture very well.

Dr Soni added that he only offers people ‘one or two’ jabs of traptox as ‘quick fix’ before recommending patients see a professional like a physiotherapist or take up a mobility improving exercise like yoga or Pilates.

WHAT IS ‘BOTOX’?

‘Botox’ injections relax the muscles in the face to smooth out lines and wrinkles.

It’s not permanent — it usually lasts for around three months.

In the UK, the cost of ‘Botox’ injections can vary from about £100 to £350 for each treatment, depending on the clinic and the area being treated.

‘Botox’ injections for cosmetic reasons are not available on the NHS.

The procedure, which usually only lasts ten minutes, involves having botulinum toxin injected into the face muscles using a very fine needle.

It then takes around two to three days to start working and up to three weeks to see the full effect.

Side effects include, headaches, a frozen look, weakness in the face and bruising, swelling and redness where the needles went into the skin.

However, ‘Botox’ can also be used to treat medical conditions.

These include abnormal contractions of the eye, conditions that cause muscle pain and stiffness —such as cerebral palsy — and excessive sweating.

Source: NHS

It comes as Kings College London researchers recently presented new evidence of the impact of hunching over technology on our necks.

Presented at an event at the Royal Society of Medicine’s section of aesthetic medicine and surgery, this showed that when in normal uptight posture, the human head puts about 5kg (11lbs) of strain on the spine.

But at the hunched over ‘tech neck’ angle, the level of strain more than quadruples to 22kg (48lbs).

Beyond just pain poor neck posture can lead to a host of issues, including tension headaches, muscle spasms and even the development of agonizing bony growths called spurs in the neck joints.

While adults stuck to their smartphones are thought to be most at risk of tech neck, medics are concerned future generations could face even greater issues.

Previous studies have suggested children between the ages of two and 11 use screens up to 4.5 hours per day, far more than the hour or so recommended.

According to analysts, children between the ages of two and 11 watch over four times the recommended amount – 4.5 hours per day – of recorded programming, the Journal reported.

More recent British research has suggested for young people between eight and 18 it’s about four hours a day, but this rises to five as adults.

Some doctors have warned they are seeing a rising number of cases with children suffering issues from technology use.

These include torticollis — where neck muscles start to spasm, tilting the head to the side — and general impaired mobility due to being glued on devices.

The World Health Organization recommends children spend no more than one hour per day in front of screens.

Brits suffering with ‘tech neck’, caused by hunching over devices likes phones or tablets too much are turning to Botox to help, medics have revealed. Stock image

Nearly four in five Brits who get anti-wrinkle injections suffer adverse side effects, research suggests

Prevention tips for tech neck consist of both limiting screen time, and where not possible due to work or education, ensuring screens are placed directly at eye level to ease strain on the muscles and joints.

Aesthetics treatments for botulinum toxin (of which the most recognised brand is Botox), aren’t available on the NHS.

It is available for some patients with certain health conditions which can benefit from Botox’s ability to paralyse certain tissues.

This includes those that cause spasms, migraines and excessive sweating.

While Botox is generally considered safe, like any medication there is a risk of side effects which can vary in severity.

Research published last year suggested nearly four in five Brits who get anti-wrinkle injections suffer such effects with the most commonly reported including headaches, pain, dizziness and brain fog.