Importance of spinal health
Children face many challenges to their spinal health. These challenges include: sitting for long periods of time, carrying heavy backpacks, bending over their homework and hunching over phones and tablets.
Teaching your child how to positively respond to these demands will create healthy lifelong habits and decrease the chances of developmental issues occurring in their growing bodies.
Chiropractors are spine and musculoskeletal system experts trained to assess, diagnosis and treat spinal health. Chiropractors are proficient at treating all age groups, including children, and can provide advice to help kids’ bodies function at their optimum level.
Children will encounter many physical stresses during their formative, growing years. The resulting problems in a child’s spine can occur at almost any point in their development and growth. Visits to your chiropractor can identify potential spinal dysfunction to ensure their bones, muscles, joints and nerves are working together properly, which reduces stress placed on ligaments.
Common concerns
Backpacks
Backpacks can place stress on growing spines. Risks include poor posture, distortion of the spinal column, muscle strain, headaches, neck and arm pain, and even nerve damage. What can you do to help your child?
Tips
• Choose a bag made of lightweight material, such as vinyl or canvas.
• Pick a bag that has two wide, adjustable and padded shoulder straps, along with a hip or waist strap, a padded back and plenty of pockets.
• The total weight of the pack should not exceed 15 per cent of your child’s body weight.
• Never allow your child to sling a backpack over only one shoulder.
• Using the waist strap reduces the strain on your child’s back and transfers some of the load to their hips.
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