With nearly 80% of people experiencing back pain at some point during their lives, it’s important that children look after their spines from a young age.
Our Southend chiropractor, who has extensive experience in treating children, shares simple tips on preventing childhood back pain…
1:Keep Your Children Active
Staying active helps to keep children a healthy weight and builds those all-important spine-supporting muscles. Sitting in class for long periods of time can put excessive pressure on a child’s spine which can put them at risk of developing back pain. It’s a good idea to suggest that your child performs some simple stretching and strengthening exercises in between classes. The Double Arm Doorway Stretch is a fun and effective exercise that your child can take in turns to do with their classmates. Here’s how it works:
Your child stands in a doorway and braces their hands on each side of the frame. Keeping their hands and arms at shoulder level, they engage their stomach muscles and straighten their back. Next they take one step forward and lean their upper body so that they feel a stretch inside their chest and shoulder muscles.
If your child feels embarrassed or self conscious, they can even do this exercise as they are chatting to their friends and no one will even notice they are doing anything more than leaning on a door!
2: Buy the Right Backpack
Although it may be the “cool” thing to do, wearing a back pack with one strap puts excessive pressure on one shoulder instead of distributing the load evenly across the two. Make sure your child wears their backpack across two shoulders and the straps are tight enough for the bag to fit closely to the body. Your child’s back pack should rest evenly on the middle of their back and not sag down.
3: Practice Good Posture
Sitting in class for long periods of time can cause many kids to slouch, which again, puts an excessive amount of pressure on the spine. Teach your child about the health benefits of proper posture and get them into the habit of sitting in the correct position. While in class, your child’s feet should be planted on the ground with their back straight. Rounding the spine or slouching is a common issue than often leads to long-term back pain.
By working together, we can protect the next generation’s spine health.
When 4 year old Dev came to see Arif a few weeks ago, he presented with a left arm and leg that failed to move correctly and caused him to repeatedly fall when he tried to run or walk fast.
t’s Chiropractic Awareness Week between 14th and 20th April and this year the focus is on protecting teenagers from back and pain.