ThermNeck & Upper Back: A Science-Backed Five-Therapy Device to Treat Tech Neck at Home

Expert contributor: Dr. Dan Giordano, DPT, Scientific Advisory Board Member

If your neck is stiff by 2pm from staring at your computer, tense after a stressful day, or just never seems to fully loosen up, you're not alone.

Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions of people. [1, 2] Hours spent sitting in the same position, and the tension we carry through the day, all take a toll on the neck and upper back.

Most at-home neck pain solutions deliver a single therapy to target one cause or symptom of neck pain — but it has several causes, each relieved through a different science-backed technique. ThermNeck & Upper Back is expert-engineered with five science-backed therapies, including two Theraguns®, that target specific muscles causing neck pain and tension, for precise relief.

Here's what's driving neck and upper back pain, the science behind the device and its therapies, and how to know if it's right for you.

What is tech neck?

Tech neck (often called text neck) describes the neck and upper back stiffness, tightness, and discomfort that build up from spending long stretches looking down at a phone, tablet, or laptop. [1]

It isn't a medical diagnosis, but it's an increasingly common complaint. The number of people experiencing neck pain is rising worldwide, and screen-related cases have risen alongside it. Neck pain affects an estimated 203 million people globally, and projections show neck pain may reach 300 million annual cases by 2050. [1, 2, 3]

“Tech neck isn't just about bad posture. It's really the result of spending hours every day in a consistently poor position while looking at a phone or computer. Over time, the muscles in the front of the chest become tight, while the muscles that support the neck, shoulder blades, and upper back become weaker and less active,” says Dr. Dan Giordano, DPT.

For a full breakdown of the science behind it, read our science deep dive on tech neck.

What are the causes — and consequences — of neck pain?

Neck pain typically doesn’t develop overnight. It’s a result of the accumulation of strain in the area over time, and can have several causes: [3]

• Forward head posture: Tilting your head forward, even by 30 degrees, can nearly quadruple the load your neck muscles have to support. [4]
• Muscle tightness: Over time, the muscles in the front of the chest tighten while the muscles supporting the neck, shoulder blades, and upper back weaken and become less active.
• Time in one position: Staying in the same position for hours, like working at a desk or looking down at a phone, places repeated stress on your neck and upper back.
• Stress accumulation: Many people unconsciously tense their shoulders when stressed, adding postural strain.

“This imbalance can lead to muscle fatigue, stiffness, tension headaches, and neck or shoulder pain,” explains Giordano. [5]

How does ThermNeck & Upper Back relieve neck pain?

ThermNeck & Upper Back is engineered around the specific muscles most implicated in neck pain and tension headaches, pairing five science-backed therapies to reach them:

• Theragun percussion: Rapid, repetitive force on soft tissue helps release myofascial tension, increase blood flow, improve range of motion, and reduce stiffness and soreness. [6, 7] Two Theraguns are precision-placed at the mid-trapezius, with three speed settings and an adjustable strap so you can match intensity to how your neck feels that day.
• Kneading massage: Compressing tissue against the underlying muscle in a slow, circular motion improves circulation and helps reduce tension and tightness. [8] These nodes target the upper trapezius and suboccipital region, with three massage patterns (internal rotation, external rotation, and alternating between the two).
• Near infrared LED: LED light penetrates beneath the skin’s surface and into muscle tissue, improving blood flow and helping to reduce inflammation. [9] The 12 LEDs are centered on the back of the neck to reach the deep cervical extensors.
• Mechanical heat: Heat improves circulation and encourages muscle relaxation, which helps relieve pain and tension. [10, 11] Heat is delivered to key muscles including the upper trapezius and the suboccipital group.
• Far infrared heat (FIR): Penetrates several centimeters into muscle tissue to increase blood flow and improve vasodilation. [7] The device has carbon fiber FIR emitter material.

When paired with the Therabody app, you can experience guided routines that sequence the right therapies based on what you need most.

“These tools will help improve blood flow, improve circulation, decrease muscle tension, and modulate pain,” says Giordano.

While individual therapies can help relieve neck pain, a multi-therapy approach improves pain severity and duration by targeting several causes and mechanisms to provide relief. [12]

Who should use ThermNeck?

ThermNeck can be especially beneficial for the following people:

Desk workers and frequent screen users

Who it's for: Desk workers and anyone who spends hours a day looking at a phone, tablet, or computer and notices recurring neck stiffness or forward head posture pain.

When to use: Use the device during the workday, without stepping away from your desk.

How it works: Percussive massage delivered by two Theraguns targets the trapezius and levator scapulae, the muscles most affected by screen posture, between meetings or on your lunch break. [6]

Those who are chronically stressed and carry tension

Who it's for: Those with neck and shoulder tension from cumulative physical and mental stress.

When to use: In the evening, or whenever tension builds before it becomes a headache.

How it works: Stress alone can activate the trapezius muscle, even without added physical strain. Kneading massage helps release stress-related tightness in the neck and shoulders, promoting relaxation. [13]

If you have recurring neck pain

Who it's for: Anyone whose neck stiffness resolves temporarily with massage or stretching but returns the next day.

When to use: As part of a daily routine, morning and night.

How it works: Far infrared heat and near infrared LED work below the skin’s surface to increase blood flow and support recovery, addressing the tightness driving the recurring stiffness. [9]

Those with tension headaches

Who it's for: People with tension-type headaches who carry stress in their shoulders and upper back.

When to use: Proactively, to reduce the likelihood of neck tension developing into a headache, or after the headache starts to help relieve symptoms.

How it works: Sustained tension in the neck and shoulders is a common contributor to tension headaches. Pain signals from the neck can be interpreted by the brain as coming from the head, explaining why relieving neck tension may help ease headache symptoms. The device’s kneading nodes are positioned on the muscles that can contribute to pain intensity. [4]

ThermNeck & Upper Back: Questions and answers

What is tech neck and how do you fix it?

Tech neck develops when sustained forward head posture, like looking down at a phone or laptop for hours, keeps your neck and shoulder muscles tight while the muscles that support good posture go underused and weaken. Common fixes include percussive massage, kneading massage, heat, and near infrared LED light, with the most effective approaches including a combination of these therapies. [1, 2, 3]

What causes neck pain from sitting at a desk all day?

Hours spent in a forward head position place repeated pressure on the neck, shoulders, and upper back muscles, and even a 30-degree forward tilt can nearly quadruple the load those muscles have to support. Stress from work can also cause these muscles to tense up, even without added physical strain. [3, 4]

Does heat actually help neck and shoulder stiffness?

Heat therapy relaxes muscles, improves circulation, and helps ease pain, making it one of the top non-pharmacological options for neck and shoulder stiffness. Far infrared heat goes a step further, penetrating several centimeters into muscle tissue to increase blood flow and reduce inflammation, which is why pairing mechanical heat with far infrared heat creates synergistic benefit. [7, 10, 11]

Why do tension headaches start in the neck and shoulders?

Neck and shoulder muscles are common trigger points for tension-type headaches, and pain signals from the neck can converge with signals from the head at the spinal cord. This convergence is thought to be why the brain sometimes misreads neck tension as head pain, which is why tension relief may help reduce the frequency of headaches. [4]

What are non-medication ways to relieve upper back pain?

Percussive and kneading massage therapy are non-medication options to release myofascial tension and increase blood flow. Combining massage with heat and near infrared LED light creates a stronger effect than a single therapy alone. ThermNeck & Upper Back is designed to deliver this combination directly to the upper back and shoulder muscles and can complement in-office treatments, medications, or be used on its own. [6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

How often can I use ThermNeck & Upper Back?

ThermNeck & Upper Back is designed for regular use throughout the day. For example, you may want to use percussive therapy during your workday and heat and LED in the evening. The app-guided routines can help you get targeted relief.

Can I wear ThermNeck & Upper Back while I work?

Yes. The wearable design allows you to use the device while you're at your desk.

How do I put on the device?

Attach the adjustable strap to one of the buckles and place the device around your neck. Bring the other end of the adjustable strap around your back, connecting the free end to the other buckle.

Power on the device and begin your treatment. Adjust the strap length as needed, ensuring a secure but not overly snug fit. When your treatment is complete, loosen the strap, and press the middle of the center buckle to release.

How do I customize the device’s treatment settings?

Place your hands in the handles to customize pressure / placement.

Key takeaways:

• ThermNeck & Upper Back combines Theragun percussion, kneading massage, mechanical heat, far infrared heat, and near infrared LED in one wearable device, precision-placed over the muscles most implicated in neck pain and tension headaches.
• Neck pain develops from the accumulation of forward head posture and muscle tightness, and stress compounds the tension.
• Neck tension is a common driver of tension headaches, which is why relieving it can help to ease headache symptoms.
• App-guided routines sequence the right therapies for your specific needs, whether that's midday tension relief, stress-related tightness, or recurring neck pain.

References:

1. Global, regional, and national burden of neck pain in the general population, 1990-2017: systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
2. Global, regional, and national burden of neck pain, 1990–2020, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
3. Neck pain: global epidemiology, trends and risk factors
4. Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head
5. Tension-type headache
6. The Effect Of Percussive Therapy On Musculoskeletal Performance And Experiences Of Pain: A Systematic Literature Review
7. Consensus on the Use of Therapeutic Interventions in Pain Management, Recovery, and Athletic Performance: A Delphi Study
8. Deep Tissue Massage Therapy: Effects on Muscle Recovery and Performance in Athletes
9. Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation
10. Reported concepts for the treatment modalities and pain management of temporomandibular disorders
11. Physiotherapy Approaches for Temporomandibular Disorders: A Multimodal Conservative Management Strategy
12. Manipulation and Mobilization for Treating Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for an Appropriateness Panel
13. Identifying risk factors for first-episode neck pain: A systematic review