Pain in the back: computer use
Tim Utton|Daily Mail13 April 2012

Hours of sitting in front of computer screens and carrying heavy school bags around are condemning children to a lifetime of back pain, according to research.

Many are developing back problems normally seen in middleaged people, says the British Chiropractic Association.

Almost one in three BCA patients suffers from injuries stemming from childhood, and these figures are expected to grow with more adults developing osteoarthritis of the joints and spine.

The association, which represents 1,000 chiropractors, says modern children are more at risk from developing joint and back pain than ever before.

Research by the body found that 29 per cent of parents say that their child has complained of back pain, and 38 per cent say they are worried about their youngsters' posture.

Some 56 per cent of parents feel school bags are too heavy, whilst 38 per cent estimate their children spend more than five hours a week playing computer games or using a PC.

The association advises that a rucksack is the best school bag option, as long as it is carried over both shoulders and the straps are adjusted so that the bag is held close to the back.

Good footwear is also important, according to the BCA. Soft-soled shoes that are supportive and have a good grip will make it easier for children to carry a heavy school bag.

Regular exercise is key to avoiding back trouble, as the fitter the child is the less likely they are to injure themselves.

Computer use should be limited to periods of no more than 40 minutes at a time, while sitting comfortably and with support for the spine.

Nearly two-thirds of adults in the UK have had back pain, and 2.5million people have back pain every day.

Some 180million working days are lost every year in Britain as a result and the estimated cost to the economy is an estimated £5billion per year.

The situation for children is now so serious that back checks should become as routine for them as going to the dentist, said the BCA.

Members are offering a free checkup-during half-term for youngsters. Tim Hutchful of the association said: 'Children are extremely vulnerable to back problems later in life, as their young bones are soft and still developing.

'We are acutely aware of the risk and strain that 11-18 year olds are putting themselves under every day at school, which is the reason behind the halfterm health check campaign.

'Our research highlighted how worried parents are, and we want to help, otherwise the schoolchildren of today could be the back sufferers of tomorrow.

'Half term is the perfect time to see children, as it enables us to make recommendations so that the remainder of the school year is less of a strain physically.'

A study by doctors in Finland, published in the British Medical Journal this month, found an alarming increase in the incidence of pain in the neck, shoulders and lower back among adolescents between 1991 and 2001.

The study found that among girls, 24 per cent of 14-year-olds, 38 per cent of 16-year-olds and 45 per cent of 18-year-olds had upper back problems.

The doctors, from the University of Tampere, suggested that increased computer use was to blame.

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