Back To School Advice For Parents

back care advice for children from our cliffs chiropractor southendFor many parents the next week will be all about getting the children ready for the start of a new school term. There’s plenty to do from getting the school uniforms sorted out to making the last minute purchases of pencils, papers and pens.

It’s the time of year when our chiropractors turn their attention to reminding parents of the importance of  keeping their children’s back safe.

As chiropractors in our long established and busy chiropractic clinic in Southend we are increasingly treating younger patients. Children, as well as adults, are leading more sedentary lives and many are spending an increasing number of hours hunched in front of computers or over mobile devices. These actions are leading to an increase in back and neck pain in children.

Our chiropractors can’t stress enough how important it is to keep a child’s spine healthy. Maintaining a good posture is an important part of maintaining a healthy spine. The British Chiropractic Association has developed ‘Straighten Up UK’ a simple three minute programme specifically to help with improving posture. It has been developed to be a fun programme that people of all ages can do – a great way to engage your children without the need to nag!

You can view the video below and follow along.

Arif Soomro, one of our chiropractors, has also developed The Back Story programme which is a self help programme designed by age group to set out lifestyle changes that combat the effects of modern day living on our backs.  It starts with Toddles, Under 11s, Teens all the way through to the 80s – you simply click on the relevant age group for the advice.

One of the areas of concerns our chiropractors have is the stress put on children’s spines from carrying bags to and from school. It seems that bags are becoming heavier every year which is why it’s so important that as parents we ensure that bags are fit for purpose and not overloaded.

Backpacks are a good option for carrying, however, they do need to be carried and adjusted properly. The backpack should be carried over both shoulders and adjusted to ensure that the weight is spread evenly across the back and held as closely to the body as possible.

Here is a link to one of our previous blog posts about rucksacks with more information – Back to School Back Health.

At the start of the new term our chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractic Clinic in Southend wishes all school children a happy and successful school year.

Let’s Talk Handbags And Back Pain

Whilst small handbags are making a comeback it doesn’t appear that leaving behind larger and heavier bags is going to go away anytime soon. There’s always too much stiff to carry around, right?

Unfortunately there’s often a price to carrying these large and heavy bags around. Research* undertaken by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) in 2017 revealed that oversized bags and those worn on one side of the body was in the top 5 most worn clothing item that may cause back pain in women.

Our team of chiropractors at Cliffs Chiropractor in Southend offer this back safe advice to all of you who can’t leave the house without a large and heavy bag:

  • Declutter: Empty your bag out and leave behind all the unnecessary clutter. It may be surprising just how much clutter there is.
  • Avoid certain types of bags: Bags that must be carried in the crook of your arm, for example, result in the bag being carried away from the body, pulling one shoulder lower than the other and twisting the neck and spine, which is not a good thing.
  • Alternate shoulders: If your bag has a strap then alternate the shoulder you are carrying it on.
  • Wear the bag across your body: If your bag has a long enough strap then wear it across your body.

If you are experiencing back pain for more than a few days then you seek professional help. Our chiropractors at Cliffs advise that an undiagnosed problem could lead to longer-term problems if left untreated. If you are in pain, you can call our friendly reception team and they will make an appointment for you to visit one of our chiropractors.

*The 2017 research was carried out between 14/02/2017 and 20/02/2017 on a sample of 2,082 UK adults aged 16 + on behalf of the British Chiropractic Association

Most popular clothing choices among women which could cause neck and back pain:

Women
Skinny jeans 48%
Bags worn on one side of the body 46%
Coats with large fluffy hoods 37%
High heeled shoes 26%
Oversized bags 24%
Backless shoes e.g. mules 20%

 

Love Your Back This Valentine’s Day!

back care advice from our southend chiropractorIt’s the month of romance, but are you giving your spine the love and attention it needs? Your spine is an amazing structure, but it needs TLC to function properly. Millions of people are affected by back pain every day. And of course, as well as living with the pain itself, chronic back pain can affect your quality of life, causing you to miss work and social activities that you enjoy  In some cases, it can even prevent you from being able to carry out simple, everyday tasks. So it goes without saying that taking care of your spine will help you to reduce your chances of experiencing back pain later on in life.

Here are simple yet important adjustments to make for good spine health from our Southend chiropractor:

Lift correctly.

It’s very easy to twist the wrong way and injure your spine if you don’t lift correctly.  When lifting, our chiropractor recommends that you stand as close to the object as you can, and use the weight of your legs and knees rather than your back or upper body to pull up. It will also help if you bend your knees so your arms are at the same height as the object you’re lifting.

Sleep tight.

Sleeping well is important to good health, and this includes your spine health! Your body needs a good night’s sleep to repair itself, so don’t underestimate the power of quality sleep. To encourage good spine health, it’s also important to invest in a supportive mattress as well as a pillow that promotes proper alignment of your neck.

Stretch out.

Keeping flexible can help to maintain normal joint function and a good range of motion. It can also reduces the risk of back injury..

Stay active.

Despite what many people believe, being inactive will increase your risk of back pain and is likely to worsen any existing pain condition. Whether you make regular visits to the gym, walk, bike, swim, or play with your kids, it’s super important to stay active and keep your body moving to maintain a healthy spine.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Exercise, along with a healthy diet, will help you to lose any excess weight or maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese, or quickly gaining a significant amount of weight, are major risk factors for low back pain — extra weight (especially around your midriff) can put added stress on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your lower back, which can lead to pain and discomfort.

We hope these tips help you to love and look after your spine! We’re always here to help with any advice you need!

Back Pain in Kids and Teens

back care advice for children from our Southend chiropractorWhile back pain is very common for adults, children and teenagers are much more resilient and flexible. However, according to our Southend chiropractor, due predominantly to lifestyle choices, children and teenagers are increasingly falling victim to back pain. This is why at Cliffs our chiropractors are encouraging good spine health and proper posture from a young age.

Back Pain in Younger Children

Because younger children are less likely to put their spine under the same severe stresses as older children and adults, any back problems are usually short lived. Also, younger children tend to self-limit their activities and choose not to repeat painful actions. This helps in their recovery if an episode of back pain does occur.

With this in mind, any persistent back pain in a young child should be taken very seriously.  

Back Pain in Teenagers

Some teens are very active and are often involved in sports or other strenuous hobbies. As with any physical activity, there is always the possibility for a back injury to occur. This risk is even higher for teens who are involved in contact sports, such as rugby, football and martial arts.

On the other end of the scale, there’s the fact that most teenagers these days spend a whopping amount of time hunched over a Smartphone, tablet or computer. Frequent inactivity and poor posture are leading causes of back problems amongst younger generations, especially teenagers. As a parent, you should always treat any kind of back injury in your teenager as a serious concern and seek an accurate diagnosis from a healthcare professional.

There is also a variety of non-physical issues which may cause back pain to develop during the teenager years. The pressures of school and growing up can be overwhelming and may lead to anxiety-induced back pain in a number of young people. Emotional stress can also worsen any existing back pain symptoms.

This type of pain affects many young people, but often the true cause is misdiagnosed.

It is never too early to teach your children the importance of looking after their spines and our chiropractors at Cliffs in Southend really do encourage you to do this. Please visit our ‘Back Story‘ page for more information on proactive ways to keep your children’s backs safe.