Increasing problem of ‘tech neck’ pain solved with Kingston chiropractor’s new invention

2.9 million people are living with problems linked to their back or neck and Kingston-based chiropractor Dr Neil Reilly has invented the Eyeprone, an ergonomic device that alleviates the pain and tension caused by the prolonged use of screens.

‘Tech neck’ or ‘text neck’ is a term that has been coined to describe the chronic pain that can result from continuously looking down and straining the neck muscles while using phones, tablets, or computers (1). The scale of this national health issue in the UK is revealed in the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) report which states that 2.9 million people are living with problems linked to their back or neck; this number has increased by 300,000 people since the pandemic in 2019 (2)

Chiropractor Neil Reilly launched the Eyeprone earlier this year as a solution to the increasing problem and explains how it works:

“With millions of people suffering with neck and back problems, it’s incredible that the Eyeprone is the world’s first stand-alone device that allows the user to lie face down (prone) with a full field of vision. The action of lying prone takes the substantial weight of the head off of the shoulders, giving the muscles in your neck and upper back the chance to relax whilst your intervertebral discs rehydrate and recover with an increase in blood supply.

“You can use the Eyeprone to essentially convert your bed and replicate the comfort of a massage table, or turn it into a workstation to use either when sitting or standing. When you rest on the device, you can carry on working or even watch a film whilst your body does the recovery work.

“Those who have been using the invention have said that their neck pain has not only gone but their posture has also dramatically improved. This is because the facet joints in the back of your neck are given the chance to gently traction and decompress which promotes healthy posture and eliminates the pain and discomfort associated with tech neck.”

Registered with the General Chiropractic Council as chiropractor number 00052 out of approximately 4,500 professionals, Neil Reilly is one of the longest-practising specialists in the UK. He runs clinics both in Kingston Upon Thames and Surbiton, Surrey, treating patients in the community in which he grew up.

Neil describes how the idea of the Eyeprone came to fruition:

“When I was first practising in the 1980’s about 75% of patients complained of lower back pain. With even more people working at home since the COVID-19, I’d say that around 75% of patients are now suffering from classic symptoms of tech neck instead. Patients tell me they are struggling to find comfortable screen-viewing positions, some hunch over a laptop at the kitchen table whilst others resort to lying on the bed with a tablet on the floor – neither of which is sustainable.

“I’d been used to regularly hearing these stories from my patients, but the spark inof inspiration emerged when I finally paired it with how profoundly comfortable they felt when lying prone on the treatment table.

“Now, I’m hearing more and more success stories from patients using the Eyeprone. I believe the device is a real game-changer in the modern ergonomic struggle with spinal pain and I truly hope it can provide a solution for many more sufferers.”

To find out more, visit https://www.eyeprone.co.uk/.