By Dana Dean
St. Louis (KSDK) -- More and more teens are spending time text messaging and looking at their smart phones, but it can be a real pain in the neck, especially for the younger generation.
Every time we look downward to do something like text message, we are putting ourselves more at risk for text neck.
Text neck is the slang term for a condition called Forward Head Posture. Common symptoms may include tightness across the shoulders, headaches, and neck soreness.
A chiropractor in Webster Groves says more teenagers are finding their way to his office because of text neck. He says it can lead to irreversible arthritic degeneration if left untreated. He says the translation is that you'll feel a lot older than you are.
Adam Tanase, a chiropractor, said, "A study that was performed a few years ago found that for every inch the head was shifted forward off center, it actually increases the weight and the demand on the spine by 10 pounds. So just a head shifted forward an extra inch to an inch and a half, is going to be applying 20-25 pounds of extra pressure around the neck area which is essentially like wearing a truck tire around the neck."
So what can we do to prevent text neck? Tanase says text from a raised position and check with a chiropractor or physical therapist for exercises.
KSDK