Chances are you’re reading this while leaning over a desk. Your head is tilted forward; your shoulders are curved. If you’re on a laptop or mobile device, your shoulders are slumped and you’re looking down.

Am I right? Over time this could eventually cause the natural curvature of the neck to reverse – called forward head posture or ‘text neck.’

Gadget addicts are coming down with ‘text neck’ in their droves. Increasing numbers of patients are suffering neck pain from spending too much time hunched over phones and computers. The rise of smartphones and tablet computers has fuelled the problem. The extra capability for playing games and browsing the internet on smartphones means they tend to be used for longer periods. And unlike laptops, tablet computers are often placed flat on the lap, meaning users crane their neck over to view the screen.

Forward head posture can lead to irreversible arthritic degeneration if left untreated and anyone experiencing pain should get themselves checked by a chiropractor.