After returning from an amazing family skiing holiday in February 2012, my three children were keen to keep the memories going by uploading all the photos and videos on to my laptop.

I sat back and was enjoying the show until I saw this woman I didn’t recognise coming down the slopes. She was a little stooped and looked quite old and frail. Why had they filmed her?

Slowly it dawned on me that her ski suit was just like mine. Milliseconds later came the awful realisation that this stranger was actually me. I was shocked. I had a mental picture of myself that was very different from the one I was staring at.

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Sharon Morrison was told that her mobile phone had given her kyphosis, otherwise known as a hunchback

I was 56 then, but in my head I felt 23. I still do. I’m full of energy, exercise regularly and always, always stand tall - or so I thought.

But the camera couldn’t be lying. How had I never noticed this before?

I watched the video again and it was even more upsetting. I know I’m getting older - I just don’t want to look old before my time - but the woman I was looking at had a real ‘dowager’s hump’. It was ageing, it wasn’t me, and it had to go.

I believed it was a postural problem, especially as my shoulders and upper back always felt stiff and ached slightly, thanks to sitting at a computer for hours on end for my work as a writer. Little did I realise then how damaging my bad posture had been - or that my mobile phone was partly to blame.

I decided it would be a good idea to see my physiotherapist. Massage eased the stiffness fairly quickly and she showed me some exercises to strengthen my neck and help combat my stoop.

Whether I was sitting, standing or walking, I was meant to push my shoulder blades together, without sticking my chin out. This, she said, would make it almost impossible to stoop. From then on, it was sternum to the ceiling and shoulders back and down. Problem solved - or so I thought.

After three years of walking tall, and yoga and Pilates classes to strengthen my core abdominal muscles and improve my posture, I was confident I was managing the situation - until the video camera came out again.

It was October last year and I was at my sister’s birthday party. In the film, there I was, chilled and chatting to friends and family, chin jutting out, neck at a 20 degree angle to the floor, back rounded. Still!

Maybe my stoop was a little more serious than I’d realised. As it turned out, it was.

I went to see an osteopath, Simon Bacon, someone I’d known for years. He examined my back and told me my problem was more than a postural issue. I had kyphosis.

The word was completely unfamiliar to me. It means curvature of the spine that causes the top of the back to appear more rounded than normal. I now know it comes from the Greek kyphos, which means ‘hump’.

Sharon Morrison with her son Richard, 18, and daughters Jenny, 20, left, and Merlyn, 24, was shocked to discover she had developed the condition, which - although treatable - could not be fully reversed

We all have some degree of curvature in our backs, but a curve of more than 45 degrees is considered excessive.

The causes of kyphosis vary and include spinal injury, malformation of the spinal column in the womb, osteoporosis, spinal arthritis, poor posture and the ageing process.

In my case, the kyphosis was postural, caused by years of sitting in the wrong position - and, although the appearance of the curvature could be reduced and prevented from worsening through specific exercises and lifestyle changes, I couldn’t change the condition of my spine.

But doing nothing would mean my stoop would gradually become more pronounced, putting an even greater strain on my spine.

This was serious stuff, and it was hard to take in.

Kyphosis is an increasingly common problem, says Michael Grevitt, a consultant spinal surgeon at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. This is largely due to our more sedentary lifestyles and the fact that many of us spend so much time sitting hunched over desks at work.

‘Normal age-related “wear and tear” of the spine tends to accentuate kyphosis,’ he explains. ‘The rectangular-shaped vertebrae in the upper back become more wedge-shaped over the years, and the stoop becomes more obvious.

‘This may be further complicated by osteoporosis, which sometimes causes fractures which can be so minor you may not even realise that they’ve happened.

‘In the worst cases,’ says Mr Grevitt, ‘these changes result in a markedly stooped posture, and vision can be affected, as it becomes harder to look anywhere but down.

‘You can also develop breathing difficulties caused by increased pressure on the lungs and heart as you are unable to stand upright.

‘Prevention is the key. Awareness of the problem, avoiding risk factors for osteoporosis, such as excess alcohol and smoking, and doing regular core strengthening exercises have all proven to be of benefit.’

Kyphosis is an increasingly common problem, says Michael Grevitt, a consultant spinal surgeon at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust largely due to our more sedentary lifestyles hunched over desks

If your upper back is already showing signs of roundness, and your neck is beginning to jut forward, now is the time to take action.

I realised that, as unhappy as I was about my diagnosis, I was one of the lucky ones. Thanks to the home videos, I’d noticed it in time to stop my condition deteriorating.

But what if you’re unaware there’s a problem in the first place?

Well, if - like me - you live on your phone, you might want to check your posture right now, because you might be developing ‘text neck’, caused by peering down at a phone all the time, which can lead to back and neck problems, including kyphosis.

Research conducted in 2014 by Dr Kenneth Hansraj, head of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine, suggested that ‘text neck’ was becoming an epidemic that, for many, could result in permanent spinal damage.

The problem is that our heads weigh between 10 lb and 12 lb, but as we angle them down to look at our mobile devices, the effective pressure on our necks increases from 27 lb at a slight 15-degree angle to 60 lb at a more pronounced 60 degrees.

So virtually every time I’ve sent or read a text, this meant I’ve been carrying the equivalent weight of a two-year-old toddler on the back of my neck. This extra pressure leads to early wear-and-tear on the upper spine and to spinal degeneration.

So now I lift my phone to eye level to read messages - even though it feels unnatural and looks ridiculous. Writing messages is a nightmare, too - but it’s better than a full-time stoop.

Sharon warns: If your upper back is already showing signs of roundness, and your neck is beginning to jut forward, now is the time to take action

But the biggest adjustment has been to my working environment.

The NHS Choices website has plenty of good advice on this subject. It states that if you spend a lot of time stitting, the most important start to looking after your posture is to get a good chair to support your lower back. But I already had the chair, so could tick that box.

Sadly, it was the only one I could tick. You should also keep both feet flat on the floor to distribute your weight evenly and avoid creating more back problems - but, even as I write this, I’m trying to untangle my left leg, which is wrapped around my right.

And yes, I work at a laptop, too, so was always staring down, rather than at eye level, and that’s right in ‘text neck’ territory.

I’ve now bought a stand for the laptop and a separate keyboard and mouse, so that I’m looking straight across at the screen and there’s less risk of slouching.

I’ve also been making a conscious effort to hold myself properly when sitting, trying to keep a straight back and pulling my navel into my spine to work my abdominal muscles and strengthen my ‘core’;

I combine this with plenty of shoulder rolls to keep my back mobile, as my osteopath advised. But as hard as I try not to slouch, I eventually do as I get tired. When that happens, I know it’s time to make a cup of tea, or just stand up and move around.

I’ve also incorporated an exercise which helps to combat slouching by opening up the chest.

Standing up, you clasp your hands behind your head and draw your elbows backwards; then slowly and gently press your head backwards and resist with your hands for a count of two, then release. Repeat three times.

I was advised to do these exercises every hour, but it’s not always possible if I’m travelling or in a meeting. Still, I make sure I do them half a dozen times a day, weekends included. They’re easy to do and, for me, feel completely natural.

I’ve also cut down on my beloved G&Ts, to protect myself against osteoporosis, and increased my exercise by taking two half-hour classes a week of PiYo - which is a combination of Pilates and yoga - in addition to jogging three mornings a week.

I definitely feel better, and I think I look more upright. I’m going skiing soon, so I’ll know for sure when I watch the video!

Research by Dr Kenneth Hansraj, head of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine, suggested that ‘text neck’ was becoming an epidemic that, for many, could result in permanent spinal damage

In truth, I feel like I’m fighting my skeleton every single day - and it’s tiring. But I’m really fighting decades of bad habits.

It’s worth it for my long-term health, though, as I certainly don’t want to become that dowager with a hump just yet.

Sharon Morrison

Back and neck pain isn’t the only problem that may be caused by using your mobile. We look at some of the other ways in which your phone could affect your health...

STAINED SMILE

Frequent smartphone use could make your selfie smile go stained and gappy, according to research.

Electromagnetic radiation from mobiles seems to impair the effectiveness of saliva at protecting our teeth from decay, according to research from Tel Aviv University. Ear, nose and throat specialists compared the saliva of long-term phone users with that of deaf people.

Scientists reported that spending an hour on a mobile significantly reduces the natural production of saliva. This reduced saliva was low in the protein albumin and the enzyme amylase, according to the report published in 2012. Albumin is known to protect against tooth decay and amylase fights harmful bacteria in the mouth.

And, last June, scientists reported that frequent mobile use can cause tooth-braces to leach their protective nickel plating into your saliva. The problem is caused by the electromagnetic fields emitted by phones breaking down metal in the braces, reports the American Journal of Orthodontic and Dentofacial Orthopedics.

SCABBY FACE

THE rise of smartphones’ popularity has brought about an increase in red, scabby ears and cheeks, according to skin experts in the journal Dermatology Online.

They warn that prolonged contact of metal mobile phone parts with the ear and face can cause allergic reactions - a condition that the experts at Wake Forest University, South Carolina, have christened cell phone allergic contact dermatitis.

STOP YOU NODDING OFF

Mobile related insomnia is a growing problem. A report this month in the journal Social Science & Medicine has warned taking a mobile into the bedroom significantly increases the risk of sleeplessness.

Researchers at Belgium’s School for Mass Communication Research surveyed 844 Flemish adults and found nearly two-thirds took their mobile to bed. They slept less and then felt more tired during the day.

The blue light emitted by mobile screens suppresses production of the sleep- inducing brain chemical, melatonin, making it harder to nod off, according to a 2013 study in the journal Current Biology.

Smartphone makers are taking steps to ensure devices emit less of this disruptive light, it has been reported this week.

Apple has announced a software update to include a ‘night shift’ mode that changes the colour of the display. Apps that allow devices to be switched to a ‘sleep-safe’ mode are available on Android.

RUINED CONCENTRATION

Mobile phone use seems to be causing problems with our concentration.

The effect is most worrying among young people. A study of more than 7,000 adolescents in 2014 by researchers from the Chinese ministry of education found those who spend more than an hour a day on their mobiles have the worst attention spans. Limiting their use to an hour or less ‘may help adolescents to stay focused’, write the researchers in the journal BMC Public Health. However, simply owning a mobile can keep your brain in a state of distraction, demonstrated by the existence of ‘phantom phone vibration syndrome’, where people think their phone is ringing when it isn’t.

A 2012 study of undergraduates published in the journal of Computers in Human Behavior found 89 per cent had experienced phantom phone vibrations, because their brains are on alert for calls, texts and emails.

CAN IT CAUSE CANCER?

SCIENTIFIC arguments are raging over whether the electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobiles can increase users’ risk of cancers of the brain, neck and ear.

The only way we will know for sure is through massive studies of millions of people over an extended period of time. This is because these cancers are rare, so it is statistically difficult to know if their incidence is rising and if this is due to mobiles.

Our greatest hope of clarity lies in a EU-wide scientific study called Cosmos which is following 290,000 healthy people in five European countries for 30 years. The UK has the most participants - 105,000 adult mobile users.

One thing nearly all the scientists agree on is the fact that if there is a risk, it will be greatest among those who use their mobiles the most.

Dr Mireille Toledano, a senior lecturer in epidemiology at Imperial College London, is one of the Cosmos team.

‘While any question marks at all remain over the safety of mobiles, we recommend that people reduce the exposure of their brain to mobile phone radiation,’ she says.

Regardless of the cancer risk, your life may be happier and healthier if you can manage to put the cursed gadget down for a while.