Increasing numbers of children and adolescents are using smartphones and other mobile devices. Their often significantly tilted posture during use can lead to serious postural damage, particularly during crucial growth phases.
This article explores the risks of smartphone use for the development of the musculoskeletal system. It offers parents practical tips on how they can help their children avoid back pain, muscle soreness, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and digestive issues that can be associated with posture during smartphone use.
Early intervention through Rolfing® Structural Integration can help alleviate these symptoms and support children in developing good postural habits, preventing long-term damage.
The Development and Impact of "Text Neck"
The typical posture when using smartphones and tablets is known as "Text Neck," where the head is tilted forward and the shoulders are rounded.
The tilted head creates an excessive external flexion force, significantly burdening the cervical spine, neck extensors, and the connective tissue of the neck and upper back. This can have severe consequences for the spine and muscles. The shoulders curve forward, and the chest muscles contract.
According to a study by Aliberti et al. (2020), a 45-degree tilted neck exerts pressure exceeding 23 kg on the cervical spine. This triggers a compensatory reaction that pushes the pelvis forward, flattens the cervical and lumbar curvatures, and accentuates the thoracic curvature.
In children aged 10 to 18 years, according to a study by Panida Hanphitakphong et al. (2021), the neck extensor muscles have to work harder than in adults due to a larger head-to-body ratio. Additionally, children's muscle fibre size is smaller than that of adults, leading to quicker onset of fatigue during smartphone use, which often goes unnoticed due to distraction.
The duration of smartphone use is crucial: a study by Sang In Jung et al. (2016) shows that significant differences in posture (head-spine angle and scapular index) and respiratory function (peak expiratory flow) occur depending on the duration of smartphone use.
Health Consequences of Smartphone Posture
"Text Neck" can lead to chronic neck and back pain, promote the development of kyphosis (round back), and, according to Rolfers® Rebekah and David Frome, negatively impact breathing and digestion:
- Vital organs can be compressed, impairing functions like breathing, digestion, nutrient absorption, and waste elimination.
- Blood flow may be restricted.
- Connective tissue can shorten, and the range of joint motion can be limited.
With postural complaints, there are so many other associated respiratory, digestive and behavioural problems too… So much interrelates and that’s why Rolfing can be especially helpful for treating children. Rolfers have a holistic, integrated approach to health and wellbeing.
- Marina Blandini, Certified Advanced Rolfer® and Rolf Movement™ practitioner.
Signs of Poor Posture in Children
When children and adolescents complain of neck pain, upper back tension, and headaches, these symptoms can be indicators of poor posture exacerbated by excessive smartphone use. Parents should be attentive to these warning signals as they may be early signs of postural damage. Specific symptoms that may indicate "Text Neck" include:
- Neck and upper back pain: Persistent neck pain and muscle tension are common symptoms.
- Headaches, tension, and fatigue: The strain on the neck muscles can cause tension headaches.
- Changes in posture and movement: Unaddressed postural issues can lead to chronic pain and long-term postural problems.
Prevention and Tips: Protecting Your Children
Preventive measures and mindful use of technology are crucial to avoiding long-term damage. Parents can help their children by implementing the following measures:
- Promote ergonomic posture: Ensure that children hold their smartphones at eye level to maintain a neutral head position. Use stands or holders for tablets and smartphones. Additionally, workspaces (e.g., for homework) should be ergonomically designed with well-fitted chairs and tables.
- Encourage movement breaks: Motivate children to take regular breaks and move around. Simple exercises to stretch and strengthen the neck and back muscles can help alleviate tension and improve posture, such as gentle neck stretches, shoulder rolls, or short walks.
- Promote mindful technology use and limit screen time: Reduce children's daily screen time and encourage alternative activities such as sports or reading. Panida Hanphitakphong et al. recommend that smartphone use for students aged 10-18 should not exceed 10 minutes to minimise biomechanical impacts on the neck. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises limiting total screen time for children and adolescents to a maximum of two hours per day.
- Be a role model: Parents should also pay attention to their posture and consciously reduce their own screen time, as children often emulate their parents' behaviours.
- Rolfing® Structural Integration: To treat the effects of intensive smartphone use or, even better, to prevent lasting damage, parents can regularly take their children to a Rolfer®. This can help improve posture, relieve pain, and enhance children's body awareness.
Childhood is the perfect time to develop good postural habits [...]. Early interventions, including Rolfing, can save a lot of children from developing age-related postural kyphosis later in life.
- Rolfer Rebekah & David Frome
Rolfing® Structural Integration: A Solution for Better Posture
Rolfing® Structural Integration is a holistic method for improving posture through gentle manipulation of the fascia.
It can help release tension, alleviate acute or chronic pain, and correct poor posture. Certified Rolfers® offer individual sessions tailored to the specific needs of children and adolescents. Rolfing also has an educational component, enhancing body awareness. Children and adolescents can gain better self-awareness and posture correction through Rolfing sessions.
Rolfing is educational. In fact, as Rolfers we don’t instruct clients, we accompany them. We enable our clients to experience and develop alternative ways to express through movement. There is no single ‘right way’ to move, but working with fascia and in gravity, we help clients discover new and more efficient ways to move, from breathing through to very refined, specialised actions. Rolfing is different for every individual.
- Rita Geirola, Faculty Member of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute® Europe.
For assistance with posture problems due to smartphone use, parents and adolescents can contact Certified Rolfers®. Find a Rolfer near you today!
Author: Sabine Becker
Sources:
- Heads up – The Benefits of Rolfing® to Promote the Better Use of Technology, European Rolfing® Association
- Rebekah and David Frome: Are Hunchbacks Inevitable?
- Aliberti S., Invernizzi P.L., Scurati R., & D'Isanto T. (2020): Posture and skeletal muscle disorders of the neck due to the use of smartphones. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 15(3proc).
- Panida Hanphitakphong, Nuanlaor Thawinchai, Somruthai Poomsalood, Zhongmin Jin (2021): Effect of prolonged continuous smartphone gaming on upper body postures and fatigue of the neck muscles in school students aged between 10-18 years.
- Sang In Jung, Na Kyung Lee, Kyung Woo Kang, Kyoung Kim (2016): The effect of smartphone usage time on posture and respiratory function.
- American Academy of Pediatrics - Media and Children.
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