(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY KIM ST. ONGE

ANCHOR ANTHONY MARTINEZ

Constantly texting can be a real pain in the neck. But now, MSNBC reports there could be a more serious problem.

“According to chiropractors there’s a new medical condition. It’s called ‘text neck’ and it’s on the rise because of all those folks spent hunched over their cellphones and tablet screens.”

A Florida doctor coined the phrase “text neck” after several frequent texters complained about constant headaches, neck and shoulder pain. He told WPLG a normal neck is curved forward -- a “text neck” is straight or even concave.

“What that can create clinically is headaches, neck pain, arm pain, shoulder pain, numbness and tingling into the arms, concentration issues and upper back pain, shoulder blade pain.”

Daily Mail quotes a physiotherapist who says society’s increasing dependence on technology is part of the problem.

"Some people get in their car, drive to work, work on a computer, play on their mobile phones on their breaks, drive home and work on their computer and their phone again in the evening and that’s really unhealthy. We are not built to be sitting down hunched over screens."

But don’t worry, there are simple ways to avoid the problem. A blogger for Jezebel gives us a few tips.

“So, assuming we don't all want to end up like hunched technology-addled mutants, what can we do to avoid ‘text neck?’ It's pretty simple, really: we need to look up from our phones once in a while. Also we need to practice lengthening our necks by pulling our chins up and back toward our necks.”

Dr. Fishman started The Text Neck Institute to help put an end to this condition. He also developed a new Android app, called Text Neck, to let users know if they’re holding their phone in a damaging way.