New research warns of spine damage from playing games consoles

Orthopaedic specialists are warning of a curvature of the spine affecting eight to 18 year olds who spend their days hunched over games consoles and other handheld devices.

 

Specialists behind the research, surgeons Piet van Loon and Andre Soeterbroek, say the problem is not the devices themselves, but the youngsters’ posture.

 

They say the last time curvature of the spine and herniated discs were seen in children and teenagers was over 100 years ago when child labour was still relatively common in Europe.

 

Van Loon highlights that children should be encouraged not only to be more active, but to develop good sitting habits. “The main thing is that children learn good posture,” he says. “People think it’s almost normal that children have bad posture. We want to send a message to parents and physical education teachers.”

 

A simple test for the condition dubbed ‘Gameboy Back’ is to have children bend over and touch their toes, making an ‘n’ shape. Those with a curvature will be unable to flex in the middle enough to touch their toes.