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Too Much Time Staring Down At Your Phone Could Be Giving You "Text Neck"

(CBS) -- Just about everywhere you look people are staring at their smart phones, iPads, laptops, you name it. But a New York spinal doctor says the constant strain on your neck could be causing major damage.

CBS 2's Marissa Bailey explains what one doctor calls "text neck."

According to Pew Research Institute, more than half of Americans own a smart phone. Then there are all of the laptops, e-readers and tablets. Bottom line: we are looking down a lot.

"Like all day on or off," said Becky Williams, when asked how often she is on her phone. "Way more than I should be, but I'm trying to more conscious of it."

According to Dr. Ken Hansraj, M.D., a spinal surgeon at New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine, posture is the problem. It is a problem that Dr. Ken Hansraj started thinking about after talking to a patient with neck pain.

"He told me that he was playing Angry Birds four hours a day on his iPad," said Dr. Ken Hansraj, "Head down, heads all the way down."

Dr. Hansraj wondered just how much pressure it put on the neck when people look down on their devices to text or read. So he worked with engineers to determine a weight value for putting long-term stress on a person's neck.

In a neutral position, the human head weighs 10 to 12 pounds. But his results show when the head is tipped just 15 degrees, pressure jumps to 27 pounds. When the head is tipped 60 degrees, like it is for many people when they text, the weight on your neck is a whopping 60 pounds.

Neck pain patient, Debbie Feeney looks down at a computer seven hours a day at work. And, that's not all.

"My Kindle, I'm looking down when I read," she said.

Feeney waited a year in pain before going to the doctor. She said the doctor told her to "stop reading in bed."

"When your texting, your turning your whole spine forward," said Dr. Jerry Bauer, a neurologist at Advocate Lutheran General in Park Ridge.

Dr. Bauer says neck pain associated with electronic devices is common.

"If you hold you head a cocked position... it causes muscle strain, muscle fatigue and when you point it out to people, it becomes very easily understood and people will adjust their lifestyle to correct for it," said Dr. Bauer.

And it's adjusting that doctors say will make a difference.

"My message is: keep your head up... Always be cognizant of where your head is in space," advised Dr. Hansraj.

Dr. Bauer says simply holding your phone higher when you look at it can make a considerable difference.
He also says be mindful of how you sleep. Attempt to sleep on your back as often as possible if you experience neck pain.

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