Be Smart with Your Smartphone and Look Up!

BOTTOM LINE:

As students worldwide return to school, it’s likely many will be e-learning in some capacity for hours each day on their digital devices.

While our devices can be fantastic tools for entertainment and education, the postural effects are something all parents should be aware of.

For many students, e-learning may increase neck, mid-back, and low back pain.
 

WHY IT MATTERS:

Spending 6 or more hours each day looking down at your digital devices can profoundly affect your mental, social, and physical health.

It can also lead to the development of “Tech Neck Syndrome.”

This forward head posture often places tremendous stress on the neck (cervical spine) and can lead to an uptick in headaches, back and neck pain, and more.

Did you know…

• Low back pain is the 3rd most common form of pain interfering with schoolwork.

• It’s estimated that 50.3% of school-aged children present with posture disorders.

• In fact, approximately 41.6% of children experience back pain from prolonged sitting.
   

NEXT STEPS:

Making it a habit to look up (literally!) throughout the day is a significant first step in reducing the effects of “Tech Neck.”

Try this.

Pull your chin back, stretch your arms out in front of you and open them wide, and look up to the ceiling and hold for 20-30 seconds.

Try and repeat this stretch every 60 minutes to help reset your posture and body position.

And if your child spends every day at their computer learning, be sure to teach them this stretch and then schedule a visit with our practice.

We’ll provide you with a full postural and movement-based assessment to identify any potential issues to help reduce their chance of suffering from “Tech Neck Syndrome.”
 

SCIENCE SOURCE(S):

Text Neck Syndrome. Intl Journal of Env Research and Public Health. 2021.
Back Pain in School Children. Dynamic Chiropractic. 1995.
School Children’s Backpacks, Back Pain and Back Pathologies. Arch Dis Child. 2012.