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They go on to say that 75% of the world’s population spends hours daily hunched over their handheld devices. Studies also show that people under the age of 30 send an average of 3,000 text messages per month. That’s approximately 100 messages a day!

Perhaps an even more unsettling thought is the fact that young children and toddlers are now given phones and tablets as play toy. One study found that 75 percent of children under 8 have access to a smartphone or tablet. It’s also been reported that in the U.S. alone, nearly one in five kids under the age of eight uses a mobile device at least once a day.

The problem with all this time spent with the head flexed forward is that it increases the risk of developing what has been termed as Text Neck.


In fact, for every one inch your head moves forward, the relative weight of the head over the body doubles due to the effects of gravity.

This frequent forward flexion causes changes in the cervical spine, supporting ligaments, tendons, and musculature. It can also cause changes in the postural change.

Among the chief complaints associated with Text Neck are:

Pain felt in the neck, shoulder, and back

Pain in the arm, fingers, hands, wrist and elbows

Headaches, numbness, and tingling of the upper extremities.