Lately, a multitude of articles discussing a recently coined ailment affectionately referred to as “text neck” have been occupying a lot of space in my Google alerts. “Text neck” refers to head, neck and shoulder pain resulting from excessive mobile device usage. Evidently, the unnatural, hunched over position most of us adopt while using technology is not at all healthy for our spine.

Some experts are estimating that tens of thousands of people in the U.S. alone are affected by some degree of text neck.

And, while it seems somewhat contradictory, one Florida chiropractor has even gone as far as to develop a mobile phone app that helps alert users of a posture problem while texting.  Using the angle your phone is being held at as an indicator, a green light in the corner of the screen means proper posture, while a red light means the opposite.

Of course all of this raises a big question: is our addiction to technology bad for our health?

I know I am extremely guilty of phone lust, though I prefer the less accusatory description of myself as “tech savvy.” Between texting, checking work emails, updating my Facebook status, becoming a super mayor on Foursquare and tweeting things I find hilarious, my phone feels like it is part of me.  I try to blame it on my career choice (Social Media Coordinator) but the truth is, I’m addicted – not to my phone (I hate every phone I try) but to the constant contact it gives me with my family, friends and outside universe.

But it makes sense that anything you spend a significant amount of time doing can be harmful if it puts your body in an unnatural position. Even something as seemingly harmless as sleeping, when improperly executed, can cause discomfort due to the fact that we spend so much of our lives doing it. If you sleep with an overly stuffed pillow, for example, you can force your spine out of alignment and put your neck in a position it’s not meant to be in. If done on a nightly basis, this will most likely lead to pain and even lasting injury.

The answer is not to give up on sleep or technology, but rather to be more aware that anything done repetitively has the potential to cause harm if we are not vigilant. I’m happy to report though, so far I’m “text-neck” injury free. But I do sleep on a Mediflow pillow (with my phone underneath it) every night, just in case.

Unfortunately, not a day goes by without an athlete making headlines due to a neck injury. Whether it’s the Colt’s Peyton Manning, the Eagle’s Michael Vick, the Twin’s Joe Mauer, the PGA’ s Steve Stricker, or the Red Sox’s Adrian Gonzalez – sports seem to be unequivocally…a pain in the neck.

Statistics are as high as to say that 2/3 of all adults will suffer from neck pain at some point in their lives – and if you are an athlete, the likelihood of injury increases.

When you consider an injury that can be caused by something as minor as sending too many text messages, yes, it makes sense that guys who play 160 ball games a year, or have 350-lb linemen slamming into them on a weekly basis might end up with some neck pain. In the wake of the NFL lockout, the injury risk to players was heavily discussed, especially the surge of brain and neck-related injuries.

The neck is an extremely vulnerable part of the body. Because the head, neck and spine are so closely connected, damage to one part often leads to pain in other parts. When a neck injury occurs, it is not uncommon for the patient to be simultaneously suffering from multiple injuries.

Perhaps the problem is that athletes aren’t taking initial neck injuries seriously enough. Whereas no athlete would even consider playing with a torn ACL or a broken bone, the inclination to play through a seemingly minor neck injury is much greater. The danger of this, however, is that a minor neck injury affects other parts of the spine and nervous system and before you know it, the athlete is sidelined with a serious neck injury.

What many might learn the hard way is that it is important to take ALL neck pains seriously.  Whether it’s stretching, icing, or just plain old-fashioned rest, heed your doctor’s advice. And while you are resting, make sure your head, neck and spine are in a normal, healthy position by using a waterbase pillow that will adjust to your movements and keep your head (and your neck) in the game.

FHP stands for forward head posture.  This is a big issue today as so much of what we do causes us to spend long periods of time with our head tilted forward.  Think about it - just watch people walking down the street while they text or surf the internet on their phones while walking, working at your desk reading papers or working on your laptop or PC - having your head tilted forward for extended periods of time or "anterior head carriage" will eventually cause the spine to reshape out of it's natural nuetral position and over times this causes joints and bones to degenerate.

Since most of the activities which cause FHP are a part of our modern life, what can we do about it? First of all, just try to stay aware of your head positon. Seat your self so that you are not stooped over at your desk by adjusting your chair or using an ergonomically designed chair.  While these chairs used to be quite expensive, they are now very mainstream and affordable. Check your posture by standind 5 or 6 inches from a wall and put your hips, shoulders and head against the wall.  Maintain this position for a minute or so and remember the posture so that you can try and achieve that position while walking or sitting at your desk.  As you get older it is very important to warch your posture so that you do not lose range of motion.  Find some neck exercises that you can use to keep your neck muscles strong.  Strong neck muscles are the best way to keep your head positioned properly.