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Move over, BlackBerry Thumb. The slouched posture of hand-held tech-device addicts is birthing a slew of new maladies: Think BlackBerry Neck, BlackBerry Back, even BlackBerry Belly.

"You squint, you hunch, it kills the posture," says physiotherapist Angela Growse, who says about 10 per cent of her downtown Toronto clients suffer from BlackBerry-related aches and pains.

The typical CrackBerry pose - neck craning forward and down, shoulders rounded, elbows bent, thumbs madly typing - can strain the entire upper body, experts say, from eyes to fingertips.

• Have you ever suffered an ailment you attribute to using your BlackBerry? Or do you think BlackBerry ailments are a crock? Answer the poll question at Globetechnology.com

"The thumb is probably the most common inflammatory condition you get, but that hunched-forward posture can also lead to neck and shoulder pain," says Mark Duggan, a physiotherapist on Toronto's Bay Street.

The aching necks of high-powered texters have gone unstudied. Various sources have warned of the dreaded BlackBerry Thumb, from orthopedists to the American Society of Hand Therapists. But so far, there's been no hard evidence to back them up.

Two Canadian researchers hope to change that.

Richard Wells, a kinesiology professor at the University of Waterloo, plans to survey thousands of Canadian workers to determine if using hand-held devices corresponds with thumb, arm, shoulder and neck pain - and, if so, how much texting is too much.

"There's a strong possibility there is a problem, but we don't know," Dr. Wells says. Anecdotal reports aren't proof, but, he says, they are "a useful trigger to say, 'Let's have a closer look at this.' "

"We certainly hear the stories about it," says Ben Amick, scientific director of the Toronto-based Institute for Work & Health and Dr. Wells's research partner.

"We're asking, what is the distribution of muscular-skeletal problems in people who use hand-held devices? ...We'll know more in a year."

First, though, Dr. Wells says it's unfair to blame BlackBerry - he prefers the non-denominational term "Texting Thumb." He's got a point: Neck pain doesn't discriminate. Whether you spend hours every day staring down at your iPhone, Sidekick, Treo or just scribbling notes on the back of your hand, chances are you'll wind up with the same problems.

But BlackBerry is a victim of its own success when it comes to naming hand-held, device-related woes. Its ubiquity, especially in certain white-collar crowds, makes it an irresistible target.

Ms. Growse playfully warns some clients about BlackBerry Belly, which is really a function of posture and lifestyle rather than a permanent injury. When you slouch, as most do to read hand-held devices, your belly sticks out - an effect most of us try to avoid, though it gives those with a bit of a tummy a convenient shelf on which to rest the BlackBerry. Also, she notes, the workaholic habits of many BlackBerry addicts interfere with healthy diets, regular exercise and plentiful rest, and so may lead to weight gain.

More seriously, Ms. Growse worries about the combination of physical and mental stress associated with being tethered to a hand-held device.

"If you're having a rough day at work, every time one of those e-mails comes in your heart rate comes up," she says. "You're constantly responsible, you're always on call - and with stress, we all get that neck pain."

The mind-body-BlackBerry connection manifests itself in another widely reported affliction: phantom vibrations. Cellphone users report feeling a buzzing in their pockets or hips, even when no one's calling them. Such psychosomatic sensations fuel anxiety about being constantly connected.

For advanced cases of back, neck and shoulder pain, Ms. Growse prescribes a variety of stretches and exercises. But her basic advice is this: Sit - and stand - up straight.

"Open your shoulders, lift your chest and try to create a culture where it's okay to turn off your BlackBerry," Ms. Growse says. Becoming aware of poor posture while BlackBerrying is half the battle toward correcting it, she says.

And for pity's sake, she adds, "Don't do it while you're driving."