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8 Healthy Spine Tips for Your Kid

26/09/2016

 

Your children are going through an important time in neuromuscular development. Their bodies – bones, muscles and nervous system – are growing and maturing at an exponential rate. This is a very crucial time to be caring for their health and physical development. If you create and hone their good habits now, you put them on a long and optimally healthy road for the future.

For kids, some of the most common cases that we see are those related to poor posture that lead to early back problems. Your kids are young and full of energy, and they shouldn’t be having to worry about back problems this early in life! So to prevent onset of such issues, we’ve created a list of 8 healthy spine tips for your kids:

  1. Kids experience the largest growth-spurt while they are in school. Clothes that are getting too small are easy to notice, but never forget that their feet are growing too! Well-fitted and soft-soled shoes are important for development and proper posture.

  2. Always encourage your child to be active. We know how kids love to be couch potatoes, but exercise helps their bones and muscles get stronger. Start a game of soccer with them, or go to the local playground to get them active! Anything that gets them moving and running about is better than sitting sluggishly at home in front of the TV.

  3. If your child experiences any physical discomfort when participating in a physical activity, inform them to let you know right away. With proper shoes and the appropriate level of exercise, children should not be feeling pain or discomfit unless something is wrong.

We also know that your child spends a lot of time carrying a backpack around, and to and from school, so here are 4 more specified tips on proper backpack usage:

  4. Having an imbalanced backpack puts pressure on one side of the body over the other. This puts strain on your child’s back, neck and shoulders. The core of the weight should be close to their spine and a child should also only be carrying 10-15% of their own body weight.

  5. Use a two-strap backpack instead of one. It might be cool to have a one-strap bag or only use one-strap, but this imbalance can result in spine curvatures and have long-term effects on your child’s posture and walking habits. Always use two straps and ensure that the straps are pulled soundly so that the bag is close to your child’s back.

  6. Use a backpack only when it’s necessary. Tell your child to take full advantage of their locker if they have access to one, or to only carry around the necessary items. It’s easy to over-pack a backpack and put unnecessary weight on the back. Children might not understand the damage of over-packing until later on in life, when the real issue settles-in.

  7. Pack your items on wheels! If your child’s school permits rolling backpacks, then this is the perfect alternative to save the musculoskeletal structure from backpack strain. They are easy to use and convenient (plus you don’t have to worry about all the previously mentioned tips!).

  8. And lastly, come visit Rai Chiropractic for a periodic spinal check-up. Generally, parents are quite adamant on making sure their children receive dental check-ups or eye examinations, but a spinal check-up is just as important for the body’s overall health. We want to keep your child’s spine balanced and prevent any postural problems from developing as they grow.

If you have any other questions regarding your child’s neuromuscular health or would like to schedule a spinal check-up, please contact us here.