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CostaSpine

During your childhood, did you ever hear your friends complaining about their neck and back? I expect, like many, your answer is no. Unfortunately now due to excessive use of technology ie phones & tablets – they now do.

Growing up we never used to hear other kids complaining about back pain, but the reality is that back pain is becoming more and more frequent, with it being diagnosed in up to 24% of children and adolescents. We, the Chiropractors, at CostaSpine we have noticed an increase in the number of patients that are still at school! This is worrying given that most children don’t finish their full muscular and skeletal development until their early 20’s.

But why?
Chances are you’re reading this article leaning over a table or slouching in a chair. Your head is tilted forward, your shoulders, as well as your upper back, are curved.
If you are on your tablet or phone, your arms are likely to be bent, making this position even more stressful on our bodies.People spend hours each day on their phones, tablets, computers and consoles, holding that same damaging position.

Have you ever heard the term “TEXT NECK”?
It was coined by the US Chiropractor Dr Fishman in 2008 while examining a 17-year-old patient who came in complaining of headaches and neck pain. As he was trying to explain to the mother what the problem was, he saw the patient’s posture – the girl was sitting in a chair, hunched over her phone, texting away. The average human head weighs 10 pounds (4.5kg) in a neutral position – when you are looking forward, you should be able to draw a vertical line between your ears and the tip of your shoulder. For every inch (2.5cm) you tilt your head forward, the pressure on your cervical spine doubles, causing a huge strain on your whole upper body that can pull it out of alignment and cause muscle spasm. Just think about how many hours a day you carry this extra weight for? According to research, 8 – 18 year-old´s spend an average of seven and a half hours using “entertainment media” everyday!

What can we do about it?

1) Reduce the daily time at a desk and on devices – phones etc
This can be tricky as school and homework often requires a child to be sat at a desk, therefore we need to look at trying to help with the posture at home.
2) Get the ball rolling with your chiropractic care. As chiropractors we can help with finding what specific structures are being affected and damaged then fix them!
3) Be more active!
By increasing activity through extracurricular sports several times a week, the body will become stronger in all these areas and help prevent any problems occurring in the future

Yours in healthcare

CostaSpine

https://costaspine.com

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