 Have your kids ever complained to you about persistent neck or shoulder
pain? More than one in 10 adolescent boys, and one in five girls,
suffer from long-term neck and shoulder symptoms; some
data suggests that these problems may appear in more than half of
adolescents. The repetitive movements involved with playing musical
instruments, working, and participating in sports have been considered
possible causes of these conditions.
On three occasions,
each spaced six months apart, researchers collected data from
approximately 500 adolescents in Montreal, Canada, regarding
musculoskeletal health and participation in various activities.
The students, all in
grades 7-9, were assessed for neck or upper-limb (including upper back,
shoulders, and arms) pain occurring at least weekly in the preceding
six months.
Upper-limb
pain appeared weekly in almost one-third of the students. Risk factors
that increased the likelihood for neck/upper-limb pain were involvement
in childcare (more than doubled risk); holding a job (nearly doubled
risk); and lower mental health. In this study, involvement in sports or
music was not associated with developing these forms of pain.
Interestingly,
students were more likely to develop neck/upper-limb pain in the period
from fall to spring, as opposed to spring to fall. It is possible that
these types of pain are more common during the school year due to
students toting heavy backpacks and facing the stress of struggling to
make new friends and get good grades.
Reference:
Feldman DE, Shrier I, Rossignol M, et al. Risk factors for the development of neck and upper limb pain in adolescents. Spine 2002:27(5), pp. 523-528.
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