On a regular basis in my clinic, I see patients who describe the same symptoms: a dull, persistent ache at the base of the skull and a forward-hunched posture that has become their new normal.

What was once a complaint I associated with those in their 70s and beyond – or young adults with trauma – is now present in otherwise normal teenagers.

The culprit is "tech neck" (or "text neck"): the progressive cervical strain caused by hours of forward head posture hunched over smartphones, tablets and laptops. It is quietly becoming one of the most significant musculoskeletal health crises facing the adolescent population in America.

The biomechanics are straightforward and alarming. In a neutral position, the human head weighs approximately 10 to 12 pounds. For every inch the head tilts forward, the effective load on the cervical spine nearly doubles.

At a 45-degree angle, the position most teenagers adopt when scrolling through social media, the neck is absorbing the equivalent of nearly 50 pounds........

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