Hi-tech kids facing a real pain in the neck

Experts treating rising numbers of youngsters for neck and back issues

With South Australian school children in the middle of the long summer break, students are finding they have a lot more free time at their disposal.

But the days of heading down to a park for a kick of the footy, taking off on the bike for a couple of hours, or running around with the neighborhood kids in the backyard are disappearing quickly as more and more youngsters “talk” to their friends while hunched over a laptop, or opt to slouch on the couch playing PS3 games.

This trend is a concern for physiotherapists and surgeons at SPORTSMED•SA, South Australia’s leading provider of orthopaedic care and clinical services for musculoskeletal conditions and sporting injuries in SA.

SPORTSMED•SA physiotherapist Glenn Dods said the service and its hospital had noted a marked increase in the numbers of younger patients coming through the door with neck, shoulder and back issues due to time spent using electronic devices including laptops, iPads, gaming controls and other hand-held gadgets.

“There’s been a steady increase the numbers I treat in relation to these neck and back problems. I’d say 20 to 30 per cent in the past couple of years,’’ Mr Dods said.

The trend is also leading to increased rates of early degenerative conditions and joint surgery, which is more commonly seen in adults.

“We are seeing children as young as 10. They may be experiencing headaches, pain and other issues in their upper bodies and when you get into it, the common thing you find is hours spent slouched over these devices,’’ Mr Dods said.

“In some cases they are on them two or three hours a day without a break and that’s not including the time spent using them at school.

“I had a young girl who’d been suffering terrible headaches for about six months, she had back and neck problems and simply by reducing her use, doing more exercise and improving her posture, she soon had a 70% to 80% improvement.’’

He also said there were increasing numbers of younger people experiencing significant spinal and limb issues because of drastically reduced time spent undertaking regular physical activity.

“Young people and children might still be playing sport, but they are spending more time on laptops and other consoles when they have downtime and they’re not getting that broad based conditioning, so that when they do come to play elite sport, or play sport for a club where they do intensive training, they are breaking down and getting some serious injuries.’’

Mr Dods said that avoiding prolonged IT sessions; taking regular breaks; ensuring good posture including sitting upright and supporting the neck during use and increasing the amount of physical activity, were all critical in balancing the impact of increased hours spent indoors using electronic devices.

ISSUED BY HUGHES PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Catherine Bauer, phone 8412 4100 or catherine@hughespr.com.au