HARTFORD -- As back to school season is upon us, things are "looking down" for teenagers, leading doctors to issue a warning.
What has become known as "text neck" is a real concern, thanks in part to the over-usage of cell phones in a slumped position.
Dr. Aris Yannopoulos, the chairman of orthopedic surgery at Saint Francis Hospital said, "People are just texting continuously so what happens is their necks become very, very tight in that posture."
And it's not just your posture. "What it does is it effects your muscles, it effects your joints, it effects your entire posture," Dr. Yannopoulos explained.
The problem is that kids are coming in with issues they shouldn't have for many more years. "People are coming to me in their 20s with neck pain, headaches and mid-back pain. It can effect your entire spine," Dr. Yannopoulos said.
Rich Pires, an orthopedic clinical specialist at Saint Francis, works with patients of all ages and said he now recommends various stretches to counteract the symptoms of text neck.
"Texting, games like Pokémon Go, the more teenagers use these devices, the more we are going to see these symptoms," Pires said.
For a list of recommended exercises to help combat text neck, click here.
