Tag: children back pain

How important is posture and spinal motion to your child’s health? Well in short the answer is VERY.

Arif, our resident Certified Chiropractic Paediatric Practictioner and Fellow of the International Chiropractic Paedriatic Association explains the importance of caring for your child’s spine.

Most people are amazed how many complaints are influenced by poor posture and joint or muscle problems especially in the back or neck.

Look at these new shocking statistics
• One quarter of UK secondary school pupils suffer from regular or daily back pain.
• School bag burden was associated with a ten-fold higher rate of back pain.
• Back pain was also linked to prolonged sitting.
• 14 year old school girls have the same incidence of back pain as the adult population.

Parents have their children’s teeth and eyesight checked with preventative and curative treatments, allowing normal development, but your spine is just as important to good health.

Our screenings take about 15 minutes and are £10 all of which will go to BackCare the charity for back pain. They include a questionnaire about your child’s health. Discussing the findings and recommendations directly with the parents and children is an important part of it. We are able to reassure and educate parents in what to look for, or recommend a more detailed investigation of children if treatment is indicated.

Children can suffer back and neck pain just like adults do. There is really no such thing as growing pains, bad posture and poor habits can cause joint and muscle problems exactly the same as adults.

One of the most common complaints we see in patients is scoliosis or spinal curvatures. The causes as to why these occur are still poorly understood, however, they develop in early life. These children will often have a dropped shoulder, one leg turned in or a crooked crease in the buttocks. One of the earliest symptoms can be knee pains or headaches. By the time these children reach adulthood they may have already had knee surgery or be taking painkillers on a regular basis. Early detection could prevent their suffering and reduce the severity of the scoliosis.

In 1994 The Cliffs Chiropractic Clinic pioneered the first spinal screenings for children, which went on to be a national campaign.

Over the last hundred years school furniture has reduced in height by 10 centimetres whilst children have increased in height by the same figure. Additionally the majority of school furniture does not meet the individual and variable requirements for children’s various sizes or support correct spinal posture. The correct sitting position will cause an open body posture with improved lung capacity and hence cerebral oxygenation aiding concentration.

Arif says “Ingatestone and Fryerning School asked me to advise and assist in obtaining and installing ergonomic desks and chairs for their students. They were Britain’s first school to do this with the aim of improving the children’s posture and aid concentration, combining it with a daily exercise routine.

I strongly believe prevention is better than cure and if spinal problems could be corrected early on a lot of suffering in adult life could be prevented.

Being a chiropractor is rewarding in its own right, no matter what age the patient, but to treat a child and see their spine changing shape literally before your eyes makes a lasting impression on their lives, altering their development.”

All proceeds from our child screenings will go to BackCare the charity that provides information and advice to all people and organisations affected by back pain.

A child will not reach its full potential unless it is healthy. As chiropractors, it is our duty to recognise and correct neuromuscular-skeletal disorders and restore postural imbalance, releasing the child or adult to their full potential.

To book an appointment for a child screening please call direct on 01702 430 430