Lazy lifestyles and childhood stress inflict back pain on the young More than a third of those aged 16 to 24 say sitting still for long periods triggers neck or back pain, while three in 10 of those aged between 25 and 34 agreed, according to the BCA. Half of all people aged 18 to 34 regularly suffer back pain, a survey of almost 2,400 people found. "There are many pluses to modern life and technology, but the darker side is how it divorces us from the need to use our bodies and exert ourselves physically," he said. We are now living dangerously convenient lifestyles where you don't even have to move to exist. Mr al-Kashi added that exam-driven schools and universities were putting additional stress on young people, causing more of them to suffer chronic back pain. "There is certainly a correlation between that psychosocial pressure to live up to certain expectations, and the extra demands placed on young people, and a rise in the numbers suffering chronic back pain," he said. According to a BCA study in 2008, 45 per cent of children have suffered back pain by the time they are 11. Mr Al-Kashi added: "Even if you are an avid gym member and work out intensely every day, if you are still sitting in the classroom or office motionless for hours on end, those gym sessions will not entirely counter the effect of a sedentary lifestyle."