When our children go back to school, we want them to succeed in the classroom. Carrying around loads of books, often in heavy backpacks, sitting most of the day and looking at screens are common activities in most learning environments. They also are common activities that can lead to back pain and make it difficult to pay attention and learn. Child chiropractic care is always a good idea to ensure great physical and mental health. Here are some chiropractic health tips for students to help them avoid back and neck pain as they return to school.
Backpacks and back pain
A backpack’s effect on the spine can be painful. A good rule is that it never exceeds 10-20 percent of a student’s body weight. A student who weighs 100 pounds, therefore should never carry more than 20 pounds in a backpack. Backpacks should always be worn with the straps fit snug over both shoulders, and the backpack should never fall below the belt line.
Proper posture for kids
One of the best things you can do to promote a healthy, pain-free spine is to have proper reading posture and proper sitting posture for kids. Many students use tablets in school, which have many advantages, including reducing the weight of backpacks. Staring at screens for extended periods can lead to poor posture and neck or back pain. The proper posture for reading anything – cellphone screens, laptops, tablets, books, etc. – is to look straight ahead, not with your head tilted over your shoulders, looking down. Many students are receiving child chiropractic care to fix issues caused by bad reading posture.
For proper reading posture, both feet should be flat on the floor when students are sitting at their desks. Shoulders should be back with your head over your neck and shoulders. It’s easy for students to develop a habit of slouching when sitting, but kids should keep their back against the back of their chair.
Be sure to stretch
Stretching is especially important for spine health. Be sure your child knows some stretches before heading back to school. Before engaging in any strenuous physical activity, your child should warm up and stretch for 10-15 minutes and cool down afterward. Taking a few minutes to stretch throughout the day will do wonders for your child’s spine health.
Child chiropractic care
Chiropractic care isn’t just for adults. Walker Chiropractic provides exceptional child chiropractic care to ensure your student is getting the most out of school with no back or neck pain.
