Do you have 'text neck'? Worrying X-rays show how kids are becoming hunchbacks thanks to mobile phones
A leading chiropractor claims to have seen an "alarming increase" in teenage patients
Teenagers and children as young as seven are developing curved spines thanks to using their mobile phones all day, shocking images have shown.
Top chiropractor Dr James Carter has dubbed the condition 'text neck' and claims the new condition could even lead to depression and anxiety.
He noticed the condition after studying X-rays of young schoolchildren and teenagers.
"The condition is called 'text neck' because it is often caused when people sit with their heads dropped forward looking at their devices for several hours at a time," the Australian doctor told Mail Online.
"Instead of a normal forward curve, patients can be seen to have a backwards curve.
"It can be degenerative, often causing head, neck, shoulder and back pain.
"Many patients come in complaining they have a headache, but we actually find text neck is the cause of it. They often fail a simple heel-to-toe test and tend to fall over."
According to researchers, the average smartphone user stares at their device for four hours each day.
That totals up to 1,400 hours a year.
Sammy Margo, from the UK's Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: "When you drop your chin on to your chest for a long period you are stretching the whole structure.
"Eventually, in conjunction with a sedentary lifestyle, it could lead to serious consequences."