A HAMPSHIRE clinic that specialises in spinal and sports-related injuries is warning children and teenagers against the excessive use of technology.

The Winchester Sports and Spine Clinic has said computers and games machines can lead to young people suffering from neck and back pain.

New findings from the British Chiropractic Association show that almost one in five people in the South East first started experiencing neck or back pain before the age of 20.

In the UK, 40 per cent of 11 to 16-year-olds have reported problems and more than one in seven parents said their children’s aches were a direct result of using a laptop, tablet or computer.

Chiropractor Philippa Prentice, from the clinic, said: “We are seeing more and more people under the age of 16 with back and neck pain and technology is so often the cause. Young people are becoming increasingly sedentary which is damaging their posture.

"There is the tendency to sit in a hunched position when working on computers and laptops, putting a lot of strain on the neck.

“Learning how to sit properly and keeping active will help to keep young people healthy and pain free.”

The clinic has issued a warning to parents to limit the amount of time children spend using technology and are actively encouraging more physical exercise.