Mobile devices have become far more abundant in recent years, and so have a series of stress injuries on the neck and spine. A prolonged duration of the stress and lack of preventive measures can lead to other serious medical conditions, says Kim Dong-yeon, a spinal manipulation therapist and head of Well 206 Clinics in Seoul. 

“A typical adult human skeleton consists of 206 bones, while joints form the connections between the bones. Any damage to the joints or muscle around them can cause a lot of pain,” Kim said.

Joint pain occurs as a result of a wide range of conditions, but in many cases the culprit can be an excessive use of smartphone, according to Kim

In fact, it is now a common sight in South Korea to see children busy with smartphones and tablets for hours, which can cause repetitive strain injury to the spine as well as hand joints, Kim said.

“Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis should be timely treated, which can affect a child‘s growth and decrease concentration in school. Manual therapy on spinal articulations is important to prevent growth plate injuries,” Kim said.

Spinal manipulation modestly improves pain and function in acute low back pain, according to Kim.

“The statistics of disease last year suggests that growth plate injuries were ranked fourth,” Kim said, suggesting that a timely intervention is crucial among children.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)