Is your smartphone a pain in the neck?

According to a new survey a quarter of Brits are currently complaining of back, neck or shoulder pain because we're spending so much time hunched over our smartphones sending texts, surfing the internet, social networking and messing around with phone apps. 

The survey, which was commissioned by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), found that around 44 percent of people who have a smartphone spend anything up to two hours a day using them for non-call related tasks. 

Just look at the Twitter phenomenon. Over the past year, the micro-blogging website has seen a massive 182 percent increase in mobile phone users, with an average of 140 million tweets sent daily. And with 460,000 new Twitter accounts being opened every day, it's unlikely this particular trend is coming to an end any time soon.  

It's not just that we spend so much time peering into a tiny handheld screen that's giving us aches and pains. The survey also discovered almost a third of us carry two or more electronic gadgets around with us every day – and all that extra weight is putting extra pressure on our backs, shoulders and necks too (around 27 percent of people who use laptops say they are currently suffering from back or neck pain ­– perhaps that's largely from having to carry them to work and back?). 

“There is no doubt that technology plays a significant role in our daily lives," says BCA spokesperson Tim Hutchful. "However the knock-on effect is that we now carry more gadgets around with us and spend more of our time peering into small screens. It is important that we recognise the potential impact that has on our bodies."

Technology isn't going away, that's one thing we can say for sure. So what can you do to save your poor old spine? 

The BCA has devised a three-minute exercise routine called Straighten Up UK that could help improve your posture and prevent back pain. In the meantime, for temporary relief from back, neck or shoulder pain ask your pharmacist to recommend an over-the-counter painkiller. 

In the longer term, however, here are some tips from the BCA on how to prevent  gadget-related muscle strain:

• If you're sitting down while using your mobile, smartphone or laptop, change your position on a regular basis and stretch your arms, shrug your shoulders and move your fingers around to keep the muscles more relaxed (avoid sitting in the same position for more than 40 minutes).
• Use a rucksack-style laptop case and carry it on both shoulders. Adjust the straps so that the bag is held close to your back.
• Don’t carry too many items in your bag all the time – only pack what you need each day.
• Try out new gadgets before you buy them to make sure they’re comfortable to use, and spend time setting them up in a way that works well for you.

Is technology giving you a pain? Tell us all about it…