Spinal health is very important in the developmental age. Some daily pollution factors, however, such as the use of technology, can have a negative impact on posture and, consequently, on the health of young children. We cannot get rid of technology, but we can take a proactive approach to ensure the proper musculoskeletal growth of our children.
Back pain in children and adolescents
Among the causes of the high incidence of back pain in children and adolescents, the most relevant are the following:
- Continued use of smartphones, tablets, and laptops that forces the body into an unnatural position of the cervical spine (head facing downward).
- Fixed and spoiled positions that students take and hold for many hours a day when they are sitting at the school desk, at the computer, at the desk where they do their homework, and in front of the television.
- Backpacks too heavy and poorly carried in relation to the subject.
- Lack of appropriate motor activity or unsuitable motor activity.
Tech-neck: the technology syndrome
Tech-neck (or text-neck) is a syndrome of excessive use of technological devices, involving the head, neck and shoulders. That is, tech-neck syndrome is brought about by the continuous strain we subject the spine to when we stay a long time with our eyes fixed (and downward) on any handheld mobile device, e.g., smartphone, video game, computer, or e-reader.
Tech-neck can lead to verticalization of the cervical spine and consequently to headaches, neck pain, shoulder and arm pain, respiratory compromise, arthritis, disc injury, and muscle strain.
The time your child spends looking at a screen can cause damage to the structures of the neck and spine. That's why it's so important to make sure your children take steps to stay healthy as they navigate the world of technology.
The importance of correct posture for the child
The effects of polluted posture in children manifest themselves in many forms:
- Diseases of the back, heart, and circulation
- Loss of performance in study, sports and life
- Psychological pathologies
- Worse quality of life
Ensuring proper posture for our children means:
- Increase their ability to concentrate
- Correctly choose the sport to be played or the workouts to be done
- Dramatically reduce the possibility of muscle injury
- Educating them in the awareness of the importance of being healthy
Why a postural examination
For the nervous system to work properly, it needs to receive good stimulation from receptors throughout the body and therefore also active in the muscles that control the posture of the neck and spine.
When there is a malfunction of the spine, the nervous system receives less stimulation and reduces its ability to adapt the body to environmental changes. This dysfunction may be the cause of a general weakening of the body of children, which thus offers less resistance to disease.
Childhood and adolescence are periods of considerable physical activity, but the sports played are not always suited to the physical peculiarities of the child at that particular stage of development.
In addition to this, one must consider poor posture at the desk, constant use of smartphones, tablets and video games. All of this is often the cause of spinal misalignments, resulting in impaired receptor functioning and thus reduced nervous system activity.
A checkup of the child's spine and posture is necessary to restore good overall health. It is recommended that all parents should have their children's spine checked constantly, especially those between the ages of 5 and 18.
Safe sports for children
Sport is an indispensable activity for children's development, just as much as studying.
Participation in sports and exercise in itself represents an important formative moment for young people, who, while developing on the one hand the ability to interact in a healthy way with their peers, also engage their bodies in the physical activity that is essential to prevent many diseases, such as obesity.
An athletic development program, then, is not just a pathway dedicated to aspiring elite athletes; it is a proper approach that makes sports activity preparatory to each child's mental and physical development.
The emphasis should be on a safe progression of exercises that will improve participants' strength, physical literacy, and motor skills, but there is no lack of constant holistic monitoring.
The goal is to provide an accurate sports program aimed at the health and well-being of the small athlete.
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