Computer games blamed for causing back pain in teens

Computer games that encourage long periods of inactivity are being blamed for an increase in lower back pain among teenagers, physiotherapists will hear at a national conference next week.

Low back pain was a "major contributor" to loss of work productivity and was becoming a growing concern among adolescents, New Zealand Manipulative Physiotherapists Association conference organiser Duncan Reid said today.

A key topic for the association's national conference in Rotorua from August 24 to 26, the problem of low back and neck pain was predicted to increase significantly.

"This seems on the cards considering the associated health problems of obesity, reduced levels of activity, and the popularity of passive entertainment systems such as Playstations that encourage further inactivity and prolonged sitting posture in the adolescent age group," Mr Reid said.

While 80 per cent of the population were likely to experience low back pain at some stage, there was a "worrying trend" in the amount of back pain being experienced by teenagers, he said.

A New Zealand-trained physiotherapist working in Perth, Dr Peter O'Sullivan would discuss this trend at the national conference.

Mr Reid said it appeared children fell into two categories – those who did very little activity and those doing too much. Both groups were prone to back pain.

Physiotherapists at the conference would learn ways to assess the movement and muscle activity patterns of teenagers and how to instigate appropriate exercise strategies.

- NZPA