The Link Between Heavy Backpacks and Phones to Neck and Upper Back Pain in Children
- Julian Simpson
- Sep 5, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 23, 2025
The Link Between Heavy Backpacks and Phones to Neck and Upper Back Pain in Children
With the use of smartphones, we are now seeing an emergence of muscle pain symptoms that have never been seen before in kids, which is leading to future problems in adulthood.
These are
- neck and shoulder discomfort
- neck and shoulder pain
- peripheral neurological symptoms in the arms and hands
- disc prolapse
- degeneration of the neck
Leading to what society now calls text-neck syndrome
Text neck syndrome is causing
- eye and ear symptoms
- psychological problems
- poor academic performance
- poor posture
- decrease in physical activity
- obesity
So how is text neck actually affecting the body?
- it starts with large portions of the day with the neck flexed looking down at the device ( it is recommended no more than 30 minutes a day )
- leading to the altered posture of the spine
- leading to muscle and ligament stress
- affecting the deep muscles of the spine ( like the erector spinae muscle)
- the leads to degeneration of the spine, fatigue, strain and can lead to disc herniations
The study looked into device use and found
- 75% of the population spends several hours every day with their heads bent forward looking down at their phones
- phones are used for over 5 hours a day by adults and 8 hours by college students
- a study looked into 13- 18-year-olds and found 46%. of their time spent on electronics was on cell phones and handheld devices
- 8-12-year-olds spend 41% of their screen time on phones and tablets
Neck pain affects 40% of kids and is the 8th leading cause of years lived with disability in 15-19-year-olds.
The consequences of an altered posture are:
- Forward neck posture affects the cervical and thoracic spine, causing stretching of the anterior cervical and posterior thoracic muscles.
- There can be protraction and medial rotation of the scapula
Backpacks-
The backpack loads can be harmful to the cervical and thoracic spine. The added posterior weight can cause postural abnormalities
this can lead to forward trunk lean, forward head position
People should aim to carry NO MORE than 10% of their body weight in their backpacks.
Kids Chiropractic
Q: Is chiropractic safe for children?Yes, techniques are gentle, safe, and age-appropriate.
Q: What conditions do chiropractors treat in kids?Posture issues, growing pains, sports injuries, and spinal imbalances.
Q: Why would a child need chiropractic?To support healthy growth, posture, and nervous system function.
Q: At what age can kids see a chiropractor?Chiropractic care can be tailored for children of all ages.
If you want more information about how we can help . Please call Health Wise Chiropractic 03 9467 7889 or book online to see one of our Chiropractors in Sunbury or Melton/Strathtulloh Today!
Chiropractic has moved online. We offer our online programs -STAND CORRECTED- To help you through the day. They contain health advice for your conditions, nutritional advice and exercises for you to do at home or at the workplace to help you achieve your health goals. We understand that coming to the Chiropractic clinic maybe costly and time consuming. This way if you cant make it into the chiropractic office, you can do any of our 20+ online health programs at your leisure.
Enjoy and we hope they spark a little bit of joy and help you achieve your health goals. Each program contains - Information about the conditions - things to do and things to avoid - nutrition advice - all the stretches that are needed to help The following conditions are now available for online sessions
migraine
cervicogenic headaches
cervical facet neck pain
tension headaches
cervical radiculopathy (pins and needles in the arm originating from the neck)
shoulder impingement relief
thoracic outlet syndrome
frozen shoulder
rotator cuff
chronic lumbar (Low Back) disc pain
acute Lumbar(low back) disc pain
Lumbar facet pain
sciatica and piriformis syndrome
meniscus (knee pain)
Plantar fasciitis (Foot Pain)
Shin Splints
Tennis Elbow/Golfers elbow
Carpal tunnel Syndrome
Upper Crossed Syndrome( Poor Posture)
Lower Crossed Syndrome ( Poor Posture)
Dizziness-Vertigo
Arthritis
Welcome To Chiropractic
TMJ (Jaw Pain)
POSTURE ONLINE
upper cross relief chiropractic treatment online! Stand Corrected
https://www.healthwisechiropractic.com.au/challenge-page/uppercrosssyndromeonlineprogramhealthwisechiropracticsunburymeltonstrathtulloh
Or check out our relevant blogs
lower cross relief chiropractic treatment online! Stand Corrected
https://www.healthwisechiropractic.com.au/challenge-page/LowerCrossedsyndromebadpotureonlineprogramhealthwisechiropractic Or check out our relevant blogs
Reference
Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Mar; 11(6): 819. Published online 2023 Mar 10. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11060819 PMCID: PMC10048647 PMID: 36981476
Neck and Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Symptoms Secondary to Maladaptive Postures Caused by Cell Phones and Backpacks in School-Aged Children and Adolescents
Michał Latalski, Academic Editor
Comments