Unless this is your first time on my blog you will know that I have been writing about tech-driven maladies in our society.  Now there is actually a name to what I have been saying for a long time is one of our main causes to our necks-texting.
Look around and you will see (especially younger people) with their heads in a forward head posture texting all over the place. They have their heads down and forward and both thumbs are going at rocket speed.

Last year in fact Americans sent 11o billion messages in December alone! The year before that it was 48 billion in December. You see, the problem is getting worse not better and this is going to lead to a whole new generation of younger people with arthritis in the neck and hands.
For every inch your head goes in front of the central position (your ears should be directly over your shoulders for good posture) produces an extra 10 pounds of weight for your neck to carry. I see people day in and day out with laptops on their laps slouched over them, people with their heads down texting constantly and this will have dire effects in the long term if it is not addressed.
As the Mayo clinic states ‘prolonged forward head posture leads to long term muscle strains, disc herniations and pinched nerves’. All of these people who are texting (which according to a recent study by the University of Queensland shows that texting is as addictive as smoking) are not only going to suffer short term problems such as pain but also will suffer degenerative changes in their spines and major muscular imbalances.

Fortunately, fixing the ailment can be relatively simple, particularly when the condition is caught early. Experts recommend taking regular breaks when using mobile devices and resisting the temptation to flex the neck too much while using them. I teach my patients how to hold cell phones and mobile devices properly. I also advocate exercises that develop neck and shoulder muscles and chiropractic adjustments.

If you know someone who has a poor posture when using a mobile device, forward this article to them so we can raise awareness in our society especially in the youth.