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Journalism of Courage
A 16-year-old student slouched into the clinic of Dr Ashis Acharya, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine specialist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, his school bag barely hanging from one shoulder. For six months, he’d been waking up with a stiff neck, sore shoulders and a dull ache across his upper back that no amount of stretching seemed to fix. “I’m too young to have old people’s problems,” he muttered half-jokingly but visibly worried.
A week later, a 24-year-old young woman, a marketing associate, who spent nine hours a day on her laptop and another two scrolling through her phone before bed, visited Dr Acharya. Tight shoulders, a neck that felt heavy and headaches that struck after long work days.
Both walked in with different lifestyles but shared the same root cause: hours of screen time combined with poor posture and little movement. “Across India, we are seeing a trend in teenagers and young adults aged 14 to 25 showing up with posture-related neck, shoulder and back pain issues. Five years ago, my patients in this category were mostly adults and elderly people but now teens and young adults make up a significant chunk of my patients for neck, shoulder and upper back problems,” says Dr Acharya.
Why are neck and shoulder pain happening so early?
If you watch the average teenager or young office goers daily, the pattern is easy to spot. Sitting for long stretches in classrooms, lecture halls or work desks with slouched postures. Even weekends or relaxation time is for binge-watching on phones or laptops, bodies sprawled across a bed or curled up on the couch, neck bent forward for a longer period with little to no physical movement. Lying down with a device has become the default way to unwind.
All of this causes a “perfect posture storm.” This comprises the following:
It’s not just the hours spent on screens; it’s the way your body is positioned during those hours that does the damage.
What are invisible long-term risks?
The aches may start small, be a twinge here or a stiffness there. What’s worrying is not just the immediate discomfort. If left unaddressed, these issues can cause early degeneration of the cervical spine, persistent muscle imbalance that alters posture permanently, nerve compression causing tingling or numbness in the arms or even worse, chronic tension headaches.
When should one consult a doctor?
Mild or occasional discomfort after a long study or work session is normal but if pain persists for more than a week, radiates down the arms or is accompanied by numbness or tingling sensation, it’s time to consult a doctor.
What does therapy involve?
My 16-year old patient had strained neck muscles, weak upper back and posture habits picked up from hours on the phone and laptop. Luckily, he had no permanent damage and required no medication. The plan was simple but strict, including posture correction drills, daily stretching and strengthening and screen breaks every 30 minutes with rolling of the shoulder joints. Most important for recovery was sleep hygiene. In four weeks, his stiffness was gone and in six weeks, his posture improved.
The 24-year-old woman needed an office-friendly approach. Her plan included an ergonomic workspace reset with laptop on a stand, chair with lumbar support, feet flat on the floor, micro-breaks every 45 minutes, desk stretches and strength training thrice weekly. We broke her phone scrolling patterns in the evening and set aside time for a short walk or yoga. Her pain reduced by 80 per cent and she felt more energetic at work.
How to prevent stiff neck and aching shoulders?
It’s about consistent movement and mindful habits.
Daily stretching: Neck side stretch, upper trapezius stretch, or chest opener can be helpful if repeated two to three times a day.
Strengthening: Perform scapular retractions, wall angles, and chin tucks at least four times a week.
Ergonomic and lifestyle adjustments: Keeping devices at eye level to avoid bending the neck, using a chair that supports the lower back, ensuring knees are at 90 degrees with feet flat, following the 20-20-20 rule and sleep hygiene are more than enough to keep wrecking issues at bay.
The neck and spine are designed to support us for decades, but if misused in early years, one can invite decades of discomfort.
