Yesterday, a team of experts from the First People’s Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University announced the results of the first international survey on adolescent spine health in a large sample, according to the News Morning Post. The findings revealed that the prevalence of neck and shoulder pain among adolescents in Shanghai is 41.1 percent, with the “overtime use” of new electronic reading devices such as tablet computers becoming the “culprit” for spinal health. The incidence of neck and shoulder pain is increasing year by year and is getting younger and younger, with more and more primary and secondary school students becoming “computer neck”. In the common perception, the closest relationship with neck and shoulder pain is “playing games and watching TV”. However, the findings of a research group led by Dr. Zhao Qinghua, deputy chief physician of the First People’s Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University, have overturned this traditional perception. In the survey, the researchers found that there was no significant link between using traditional computers and watching TV and neck and shoulder pain. Desktop computer users had a lower prevalence rate compared to laptop users, which researchers speculate may be related to the more comfortable placement of desktop computers. A significant correlation with neck and shoulder pain was found for the tablet computer, a new favorite among teenagers in recent years. According to Dr. Zhao, most people’s body posture when using a tablet computer violates the normal physiological curve of the cervical spine, which is similar to reading, and in some ways, using a tablet computer is more likely to cause neck and shoulder pain than reading. Because the use of a tablet computer requires one hand to touch the screen, this action causes the two sides of the shoulder is not on a horizontal line, the force is also uneven, the adverse stimulation of the cervical spine is greater. Study pressure is also a key factor. Study pressure is another “culprit” that causes neck and shoulder pain. According to the findings of the orthopedic research group of Shanghai First People’s Hospital, the incidence of neck and shoulder pain increases significantly with the grade level, and senior students become the most common group of people with neck and shoulder pain – they are facing the college entrance examination and are under more pressure to study. The higher incidence of shoulder and neck pain among girls than boys is also evidence of the impact of psychological stress on neck and shoulder pain, as women tend to be more sensitive to stress. The impact of academic stress on neck and shoulder pain should not be underestimated, as the incidence of neck and shoulder pain among adolescents is much lower in countries with a lighter academic load than in China. For example, a survey in the Netherlands showed that the probability of neck and shoulder pain among adolescents was only 11.5%. In particular, the team noted that mental stress has been shown to contribute to neck and shoulder pain in adolescents. In addition, sports injuries, inappropriate desk and chair heights, sleep deprivation, family history and active (passive) smoking have also been shown to be associated with neck and shoulder pain.