About 90 percent of Polish children have posture defects. Lack of interest in physical activity, increasingly longer time spent in front of the phone and computer. The result - curvature of the spine and flat feet. These are the most common posture defects among children and adolescents in Poland. And there are many more. The results of the research by the Institute of Mother and Child are alarming.
SMARTPHONE NECK AND KNOCKED KNEES
Technological progress and dynamic digitalization have introduced fundamental changes not only in the way younger generations spend their free time, but also in how they establish relationships with their peers. Every fifth Polish student experiences a feeling of addiction to technology, while one third strongly feels FOMO, or the fear of disconnecting from the network. Excessive screen time can lead to eye fatigue, also known as screen fatigue, which 17.5 percent of students already struggle with.
However, this is only the beginning of the problems. Young people, spending a significant amount of time in the virtual world, often abandon any physical activity, which poses a threat to both their mental condition and physical health. This is confirmed by research. According to data from the Institute of Mother and Child, 90% of children in Poland today struggle with posture defects. Long-term use of electronic devices in free time, in a forced, hunched position, often leads to the development of scoliosis, flat feet or knock knees.
In addition, there is an increase in the diagnosis of new diseases – an example is the so-called smartphone neck, which is a set of pain complaints in the cervical spine, resulting from frequent tilting of the head towards the phone screen. It should be remembered that postural defects are acquired diseases. According to the report of the Institute of Mother and Child, the most common diseases in children are: spinal defects (round back, rounded-concave back, concave back, flat back, scoliosis – lateral curvature of the spine), chest defects (chicken chest, pectus excavatum), lower limb and foot defects.
SIX-YEAR-OLD UNDER SPECIAL SUPERVISION
Doctors are already calling this a veritable plague, warning that today's 10-year-olds will be arriving at physiotherapy clinics in 10 to 15 years, with changes characteristic of older people. In this context, it's worth remembering that the human spine is continuously developing from the moment of birth. A newborn is born with a rounded back, close to a "C" shape. Through exercise and movement, the child develops further curves over time.
The first stage is head control, then stretching the arms forward and sitting down, which affects the development of both cervical and lumbar lordosis. Around the age of 7, lumbar lordosis deepens and leads to a forward curvature of the abdomen. It is not until around the age of 18 that the spine assumes its proper shape. However, the support function it performs and the loads associated with it make it vulnerable to numerous degenerations and developmental defects.
The first and greatest threat to the consolidation of improper habits in posture appears between the ages of 6 and 7. This is related to the change in the child's lifestyle. Children who previously spent their days on active play in kindergarten, walks and family trips, after starting school spend half of their day in a sitting position, which affects the change in the position of the spine. If you add to this the fact that increasingly younger children spend long hours in front of a computer or phone, the effects are unfortunately deplorable.
Very often observed changes in the natural curvatures of the spine are: elimination or deepening of lordosis in the lumbar and cervical sections, as well as kyphosis in the thoracic section. Unfortunately, the percentage of lateral curvatures of the spine - scoliosis, is not decreasing. The number of children and adolescents with such a diagnosis is growing, it is a problem that is still being downplayed.
Flat feet, valgus knees, weakened postural muscle function are a sad everyday occurrence in physiotherapy diagnostics. Approximately 80–90% children who come for diagnostics require intervention consisting in the implementation of physiotherapy therapy, and sometimes further, in-depth multi-specialist diagnostics. Studies show that the second critical period when a child is most exposed to postural defects is puberty. In girls, it is 11–13 years, in boys 13–14 years – at this time, there is a rapid growth of the lower limbs, a change in body proportions and weight gain. The previous balance is disturbed, body proportions change and the center of gravity shifts.
ADVICE FOR FAULTS – OR HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PREVENT SPINE DEFORMATIONS?
The panacea for posture defects is physical activity, appropriately selected for age and fitness. Doctors recommend that school-age children spend at least 60 minutes a day exercising. In addition, specialists often refer to German solutions in PE lessons. In our western neighbor, in primary schools, each child - based on simple fitness tests - is qualified for specific activities: football, basketball, volleyball, handball. There are also teams for children who are less physically fit. For them, integration classes and exercises adapted to their abilities have been organized. The movement system, the muscular system of each of these children is trained at a level and with intensity adapted to their abilities.
It is also worth remembering about a properly selected school bag. According to the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, its weight should not exceed 10 -15% of the child's body weight. Hence, the best solution would be to replace the traditional backpack with its equivalent on wheels. Remember that lifting heavy objects by a child exposes them to the effect of the so-called round back, scoliosis, discopathy and overload of the hip, knee and ankle joints.
EARLY DETECTION IS THE KEY TO COUNTERACTING POSTURE DEFECTS
In order to stop the exponential growth of posture defects in children and adolescents, the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund have launched a pilot foot examination program. The studies will last until mid-2025 and will be carried out in 16 centers in Poland. In total, they are to cover 24,000 patients aged 5 to 16.
Why are feet so important? You can read a lot from them. Specialists talk about the "domino effect". Flat-valgus heels or feet lead to internal rotation of the lower legs, which in turn leads to valgus knees. These in turn affect the hips, which turn slightly inwards. This pulls the pelvis, which tilts forward and decisively affects the entire posture. The pilot foot examination program is intended to correct posture defects in children and adolescents before serious degenerations occur.
WHERE TO REGISTER FOR TESTS IN WROCŁAW AND THE SURROUNDING AREA?
You can register for tests at the NZOZ Twój Lekarz Rehabilitation Studio at 71 311 12 36, Monday through Friday, from 10:00 to 18:00. The tests are carried out at the clinic at ul. Buforowa 67 in Wrocław and in Kobierzyce at ul. Witosa 5. The tests are free and do not require a referral. They include: assessment of the condition of the feet, podoscopic examination, stability test and computer examination on a special diagnostic platform measuring pressure forces in a standing position or while walking.