Blog · Steve Hall · 4 August 2026
Osteopathy
Screens, laptops and “tech neck” — Steve Hall explains how desk work loads the neck and upper back, and how osteopathy can help alongside better workstation habits.
People arrive convinced their laptop has “given them a neck”. The screen is part of the story. So is how long they stay there, whether they look down at a second device, and whether the thoracic spine — the ribcage section — has become stiff so the neck does all the turning.
Osteopathy looks at that relationship: neck, shoulders, upper back and how you breathe when you concentrate. Treatment is not a crack-and-done. It is restoring movement where it is restricted and reducing protective muscle tone so you can sit with less strain.
Raise the screen so your gaze is roughly level. Keep the mouse close. If you work on a laptop, a separate keyboard is often more useful than another cushion. Stand or walk for a few minutes each hour — not as a wellness slogan, but because static load is what the tissues dislike.
Some headaches are cervicogenic: they are driven from the upper neck. Others are migraine or tension-type and need a different path. I will not tell you every headache is a neck problem. I will examine you and, if osteopathy is unlikely to help, I will say so.
This article is general information for people considering care at Health at Hart in Hartley Wintney. It is not a diagnosis, a prescription, or a promise of outcome. If you have sudden, severe or unexplained symptoms — including chest pain, unexplained weight loss, night pain, bowel or bladder changes, or a new neurological problem — seek urgent medical advice (NHS 111 or 999). UK osteopaths are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council. Counsellors named here are BACP-registered where stated. Always check with your GP or insurer if you are unsure whether a treatment is appropriate for you.
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