Too much texting dangerous for neck

Obsessed with SMS? It's going to give you more than just a long phone bill. The latest in a list of cyber ailments hitting the techno-savvy frat is a 'pain in the neck', pun intended of course. It's called the 'texter's neck'. This new affliction is hitting an increasing number of gadget addicts who suffer neck pain from spending too much time hunched over their phones and computers. Expert speak Dr Kishore Punjabi, chiropractic therapist, says, "The pain that arises out of having texter's neck can be quite intense. It's akin to turning one's ankle sideways and sitting on it for five minutes and then getting up. That's how you're treating your neck when you're hunched over your gadgets." It works like this: During continuous texting, the neck and head lean forward, leading to a reversal in the curve of the neck. "Also, there is less blood circulation when this happens and can lead to a tennis elbow. The texting syndrome is on the rise in the city. I get least 30-40 cases suffering from this everyday, most of them executives and youngsters," adds Dr Punjabi. So, will they stop texting? Will this stop you from texting? "I can't, texting is unavoidable," says actor Shazahn Padamsee. "But sometime ago it got so bad for me that my neck and fingers felt locked into a position and it was painful. I was group texting 10 people at a time and I had a tough time after that," she recalls. "The only thing that helped was a shoulder massage and I hid the text icon from the homepage on my smartphone to stop me from texting some more." Designer Rocky S too says being in touch via text messages is crucial for him. "It's like an addiction! No one can stay away from this even for a minute, so we're bound to suffer from conditions like a tennis elbow, texter's neck or texter's thumb. Most of us are busy texting all the time. We all know the disadvantages of excessive use of cellphones but our work and social behaviour doesn't let us curb the urge to use it," he rues.