Painful warning for parents on online posture Serinah Ho Monday, January 17, 2011 ADVERTISEMENT Parents are warned to watch their children’s posture, especially when they are on the internet or sleeping.

And if they complain of frequent headaches or dizziness, parents should seek immediate medical help, as this may be an early warning sign of cervical subluxation that can have life-long effects.

Hubert Ng Chung-hang, honorary adviser of the Children Chiropractic Foundation, said any delay in receiving treatment may result in a child being unable to control the movements of his or her limbs.

“Continuous pain in the neck, shoulders, headache or dizziness are uncommon symptoms and can be a warning of cervical subluxation,” Ng said.

Up to 80 percent of headaches in both adults and children may be related to problems with the cervical vertebra.

“There has been an upward trend of cervical subluxation in Hong Kong children. Inappropriate body posture stimulates the nerves which in turn send out wrong messages to our body’s posture sensor, leading to dizziness,” he added.

Ng said parents should be aware of their children’s bad habits – such as an inappropriate sitting posture when using the computer and their sleeping position.

“High pressure or sitting in the same position for a long time can cause cervical subluxation. Vigorous exercises or carrying overloaded schoolbags can also be reasons too.”

He warned the worst case in delayed treatment can be numbness and a burning sensation in the limbs. Breathing may also be affected.

Ng suggested doing daily fitness exercises, ideally once every hour, such as stretching both hands upwards, so as to relax the muscles.

An 11-year-old girl, surnamed Lau, suffered from cervical subluxation and missed school for almost a year due to serious pain in the shoulders, dizziness and headaches that made her unable to lead a normal life.

“My daughter suffered from serious headaches and pain in the shoulder and neck,” Lau’s mother said.

“She was unable to move her limbs and found it even hard to touch me when lying in bed.” Lau used to sleep face down on thick pillows.

The family consulted specialists in orthopedics and ear, nose and throat specialists, and the girl even underwent magnetic resonance treatment but still remained in serious pain.

“My daughter’s condition improved after joining an event hosted by the Children Chiropractic Foundation last October.”

She was transferred to Ng after being diagnosed with cervical subluxation and a curved backbone. “My child can now attend school but has to do fitness exercises daily,” the mother said.