Pokemon problem: Calgary chiropractor wants to ‘take a Pikachu’

“He’s around here somewhere,” 10-year-old Korwin Brost said, walking through a Calgary park on Monday. “There’s a Pokemon around here.”

Korwin was enjoying playing the popular Pokemon Go game with his eight-year-old sister, Keygan–both of them in pursuit of the animated characters through the “augmented reality” they see on their iPads.

“These kids are working hard, going up and down hills, so it’s great exercise,” said the siblings’ mother, Kolbi Brost.

READ MORE: Calgary police warn local Pokémon Go players about dangers of virtual reality

But, as a chiropractor, Brost also sees potential pitfalls.

“They get this thing called ‘Pokemon neck,’” she explained, “or as we know it, ‘text neck,’ because we’re always looking down. That’s the problem – the neck gets all kinked off.”

Brost is promoting a solution with a humourous sign outside her chiropractic office.

READ MORE: Calgary businesses and tourist attractions take advantage of Pokemon craze

“Pokemon neck got you down,” it reads. “Let us take a Pikachu,” a reference to a popular Pokemon character.

Brost said the sign is getting a good response.

“It’s been shared on Facebook all the way over to the United Kingdom.”

And to prevent the need for chiropractic treatment, she has a suggestion for Pokemon Go players:

“To make sure they don’t wreck their neck and wreck their spine, they’re better off to bring (their screen) up, so their neck stays nice and straight.”

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For a map of PokeStops and Pokegyms in Calgary you can check out Google Maps or Pokémon Go Map YYC.