Kids as young as eight treated for 'text neck' phone strain
They may be our window to the world but smartphones are being blamed for a new problem that’s leaving kids in a world of pain.
Experts have dubbed the condition “text neck”. In Perth, children as young as eight have been diagnosed with it and are showing signs similar to whiplash.
“Text neck is a range of symptoms related to having your head down for a long period of time using a mobile device,” Physiotherapist Felicity Kermode told 7 News.
Student Olivia Stewart is among a growing number of people with the condition.
“You get a bit of a sore neck and headaches and upper back pain,” she said.
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There’s four to five kilos of pressure on the neck when your head is upright. If you tilt your heard forward 30 degrees, you increase the pressure to about 18kg. At 60 degrees, there’s 27kg of pressure on your neck.
Ms Kermode says she is seeing young new patients all the time.
“In extreme cases the pain could prevent them from participating in sport of even getting through a full day at school,” she said.
Patients are being treated for the condition similar to those who are treated for whiplash.
Text neck can require several months of treatment.
