Have you seen how many people look down a lot of the day to text and read emails from their smart phones? Chiropractors are seeing more neck injuries, collectively called “text neck,” related to chronic texting.

If uncorrected, ‘text neck’ can result in tightness across the shoulders, headaches, and neck soreness. The more technical, or accurate term to describe ‘text neck’ is Forward Head Posture. Forward head posture occurs when the muscles in the front of the neck tighten and shorten, forcing the head forward.

A study 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. In other words, a head shifted forward an extra inch to an inch and a half, is going to apply the equivalent of 20-25 pounds of extra pressure around the neck area.

This added stress on the neck will cause the disc and joints to wear out prematurely, result in arthritis.

What can you do? Do regular neck stretches and get your neck checked to ensure your head is on straight.