Six year olds are developing hunched backs and text neck syndrome from poor posture while using mobile devices.

Experts are warning parents their kids are at risk of degenerative spinal disease, chronic headaches, osteoarthritis and reduced mobility as a result of poor posture while using mobile devices.

A survey by the Chiropractors’ Association of NSW shows Chiropractors are seeing up to 20 patients a week suffering chronic neck pain, headaches, poor posture and repetitive strain injuries in the wrist and hands from texting, reports Herald Sun.

There has been a 47 per cent increase in neck problems in the last three years and President of the CAANSW, Dr John de Voy says nearly half the patients treated were teenagers.

“I’ve treated a six year old boy and an 11 year old who had chronic shoulder and neck pain, he said felt like a headache in his neck,” Dr de Voy said.

“I’ve been a chiropractor for 35 years and I’ve never seen as many neck problems as I am now,” he said.

Physiotherapy Association Australia spokesman David Hall says text neck is also a growing problem for physiotherapists.

“It’s an epidemic,” he says. “We are definitely seeing an increase in young adults coming to physiotherapists if they have done lots of study and have an office job and lots of mobile phone use and poor posture,” he says.

“It’s an early version of what can develop into a hunchback,” he says.

*RED FACE* I have to put my hand up here and say my youngest son did have a trip to the Chiropractor a few months ago with some posture concerns. This is most probably the cause for him as well. It is so important we keep an eye on their position while playing on ipads etc. They get lost in their apps and start to slouch. I now find myself reminding him to sit up nicely to try and break the habit.

Physiotherapist David Hall provides the following advice about the healthy use of mobile phones:

1. Choose a phone that is the shape and size that feels comfortable for your hands and is a good match for the size of your hands — protective covers can both help and potentially sabotage this so select them appropriately too.

2. Vary your position when looking at your device — move between reclined sitting and standing

3. Place your device on a bench / tray / support as much as possible to reduce load on the arms

4. Text two handed — this allows the wrists and fingers to be held in a more neutral position.

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