Technology is 'a back injury time bomb" for children It's vital we instil good habits and provide resources so children can be comfortable, be able to concentrate, reach their full potential and work and play sport as they decide, and not be limited by preventable disability and a life in pain. In the study, 204 children from the ages of seven to 18 were questioned in a detailed survey about their back care. Sixty-four per cent of secondary school pupils interviewed claimed to have suffered back problems but 90 per cent said they had not reported their pain to anyone. The percentage of children reporting back or neck pain who were referred to physiotherapy increased from 2.1 per cent in September 2011 to 4.5 per cent in March 2012. Previous studies have suggested that a "sedentary lifestyle" is causing more young people to suffer from back pain. Experts say that even people who take regular exercise can still suffer back pain if they are static for long periods at work or school. The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has also reported "younger and younger" people attending practices with chronic back problems. Adam al-Kashi, the head of research and education at charity BackCare, said: "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. We are now living dangerously convenient lifestyles where you don't even have to move to exist. According to a BCA study in 2008, 45 per cent of children had suffered back pain by the time they were 11. Jon Abbott, the managing director for ergonomics and safety at Cardinus Risk Management, said: "For many years we have recognised the risk of ergonomics injuries to adults in the workplace, and government advice on display screen equipment has long targeted adults. But now our younger generations are using technology more regularly at school and home and yet we are failing to recognise and address the risks. It cannot be right that we work so hard to protect the working population but fail to recognise the impact technology has on children at a critical stage of their physiological development.