Vad är det? Vad ska ni veta om det?
What is it? What should you know about it?
This refers to the posture of the neck and upper body demonstrated by the majority of people using a digital device. The upper back and shoulder are rolled forward, the head is hanging in front of the body (Han, 2019; Bueno, 2019). The head is a weight which is balanced on top of the neck. In normal biped posture, the head is over the shoulders, the shoulders are over the hips. We are not designed to be sitting for hours on end. This faulty posture puts an enormous strain on the neck, increasing the load with up to 25 kilos. The rolled forward posture of the shoulders decreases lung capacity. Long periods of staring into a device at close range activates only one part of the brain, where interpertation of visual information is processed. The parts of the brain where we think, process information, integrate balance and vision with motion are all understimulated. This is compounded by the effect of sitting still on the metabolic system. Recent research has flagged that extensive screen use by young children negatively effects the developing brain. The brain mass actually shrinks in areas related to language and literary skills,. In older children using screens 7 hours a day, there is evidence of thinning of the cortical structures in the brain with resultat effects on mental health and cognition (Hutton, 2020; Paulus, 2019).
There are exercises specific for activating and improving the negative effects of postural decline due to digital overuse. They target the visual and vestibular systems to improve balance and coordination simultaneously stimulating several different areas of the brain. Tech Neck Correction
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The message here is to keep screens at eye height, observe how your children use the different media and help them find a position where the sit up straight and have their head over their shoulders, gaze straight ahead. It may a help to use pillows in the lap to rest the arms on to raise screen height so the neck is not under strain. Check out the picutres on this site under <strong>”ergonomi”</strong>. Another group of children who experience neck pain are those who are avid readers, play instruments and/or have prolonged static activities with their arms stretched out and unsupported. Sitting properly at a desk which is ergonomically adapted for the size of the child is important as well when doing homework. We recommend using the TV for films to reduce static strain on the eyes and the neck. Besides the neck, eyesight in children has been shown to be affected by prolonged periods of time looking at screens. Children are not looking using the eyes to look up and away nearly as much which has resulted in an increased incidence of myopia. The most vulnerable to neck pain are those who have had an injury early on to the head or neck. They tolerate less well when the neck is bent forward for sustained periods of time, over books or a screen. Good ergonomics at home and in school are important, but reducing screen time and increasing physical activity is critical for long-term optimal health of children.
Barn i skolålder har ofta ryggbesvär och många har intensiv smärta som varar länge och påverkar deras dagliga liv negativt. Forskning har visat att besvär i ryggen och nacken ofta börjar redan i ungdomen (Dissing, 2017). Smärtor innan pubertet kopplas till smärtor i vuxen ålder (Joergensen, 2019). Ont i benen är också vanligt hos barn och det kan komma från ryggen, forskning har visat att smärtor i benen ofta uppstår innan barnet får ont i ryggen (Fuglkaer, 2017; Fuglkaer, 2018). Växtvärk är en diagnos som är ospecifik och borde undersökas närmare av en specialist inom manuell medicin t.ex. en kiropraktor utbildad inom pediatrik.