E-Learning at Home? It’s Time to Look Up!
Bottom Line:
As students worldwide return to school, it appears as though many will be e-learning 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 in neck, mid-back, and low back pain.
Why it Matters:
Spending 6 or more hours each day on a digital device can profoundly affect your mental, social, and physical health. Prolonged periods looking at a phone, tablet, or computer can result in “Tech Neck Syndrome.” This forward head posture can place a tremendous amount of stress on the neck (cervical spine) and lead to headaches, back pain, neck pain, and more.
Did you know…
· It’s estimated that 50.3% of school-aged children present with posture disorders.
· A surprising 41.6% of children experience back pain from prolonged sitting.
· Low back pain is the 3rd most common form of pain that interferes with schoolwork.
3 Steps to prevent Tech Neck:
1. Look Up!
Making it a habit to look up (literally!) throughout the day is a great first step in significantly reducing the effects of “Tech Neck”.
2. Pull your chin in.
Try this: pull your chin back, open your arms out wide, and look up to the ceiling and stretch at least every 60 minutes to help reset your posture and body position.
3. Reduce screen time when possible.
Remember, if your child is spending every day at their compute, schedule a check-up with us to provide you with a full posture and movement-based assessment so we can identify any potential issues and work together to come up with a plan to reduce their chance of dealing with the effects of “Tech Neck Syndrome.”
Science Source(s):
Back Pain in School Children. Dynamic Chiropractic. 1995.
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