When you use your phone, chances are, you’ll be looking down and staring at the screen with your neck and back slightly bent or hunched over. For 14-year-old Sarah Atchison – and many other youths and smartphone users of all ages -this is an everyday reality.
But then Sarah began to complain of severe neck pains, the kind most might associate with old age. Her parents took her to a doctor, who took X-ray scans of her back and uncovered a shocking fact – her spine has set in a reverse curve.
This phenomenon is not entirely brand new, but it has only come out in full force in these modern times. Doctors refer to it as Text Neck, and as its name suggests, it occurs when an individual is looking down too often and for prolonged periods of time, like you would do when constantly texting.
Sarah now has to see a chiropractor to work on undoing the damage. According to experts, more and more young people are developing similar conditions all around the world due to overuse of smartphone, which can cause shoulder, neck, and back pain. So parents, make sure to monitor your children’s gadget use! Everything in moderation.
