(CBS) Between cell phones, BlackBerrys, iPods, and handheld games, Americans are spending a lot of time looking down.
The gadgets you're holding might be providing some entertainment, but they can also cause pain.
Paul Kauffman's a regular at his chiropractor's office.
"I have constant pressure in my shoulders and my neck," Kauffman said.
Kauffman asked the doctors what was causing the problem.
The doctor said, �the pain was from looking down at my BlackBerry," Kauffman said.
BlackBerrys, cell phones, iPods, handheld games--we're a nation addicted to gadgets that make us look down. That can bring on the hurt.
Dr. Keith Overland is with the American Chiropractic Association.
"I have seen a dramatic increase in people complaining of pain as a result of their handheld devices," Overland said.
Overland says most of his patients don't realize how much looking down at a gadget can worsen neck, back, and shoulder problems.
"We actually ask them to hold it in their hands and take a look at the way they're holding their body,� Overland said. �We can see almost immediately what the cause of their pain is based on the position they're actually holding this device."
Dr. Santhosh Thomas is the medical director of the Cleveland Clinic's Spine Center. He says the longer you tilt your head down, the harder your muscles work to keep you from falling forward.
"Your bones work in conjunction with the muscles and the actions,� Thomas said. �When you stress one of those areas, you can start feeling pain from the back of your neck to the tip of your fingers."
To help lessen soreness, Overland suggests holding the gadget at eye level, spending 10 minutes or less with your head down looking at the device.
�Take that BlackBerry, when they're home or at the office, and actually plug it into their keyboard, plug it into their regular computer," Overland said.
Kauffman says he tries to follow his doctor's advice, but old habits die hard.
"When I do follow my doctor's advice, the pain is less, but again, it's tough to get out of the habit," Kauffman said.
Thomas says there are exercises you can do to strengthen the muscles in your back and neck. But, before you do any, you should check with a physician, personal trainer or chiropractor.
A chiropractor giving medical advice is like me giving legal advice. And if I give you legal advice other than "I don't know, I haven't taken a class on that yet," then I'm lying to you.
You're just in denial, go see a hypnotist and you'll realize how much pain you're really in - and that those owls outside your window were actually space aliens!
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
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