Put Spine Health on Your Back To School List

It's not surprising that returning to school can trigger some stress in children. Back-to-school jitters and excitement can often be emotionally and physically taxing. Still, the effects of heavy backpacks and the return to high-impact sports can potentially harm your child's physical well-being. 

Here are a couple of tips for a healthy start to a new school year:

Summer vacation takes us out of our regular routine, which can often mean less activity than usual. Back to school is a great time to implement a stretching routine. Stretching is essential for your spine's health. Ensure that your child knows some stretches before heading back to school. Before starting any physical activity, your child should spend 10-15 minutes warming up and stretching. After finishing the physical activity, conclude with a cool-down period. This will help prevent injury to muscles that might not have been used in some time.

Back to school also means a lot of more sedentary activity. Some teachers are opposed to children leaving their seats, so some seated stretches are a great tool to teach your child. Teach them about proper posture while seated, which means books/tablets held at eye level, feet flat on the floor, and their back up against the back of their seat. With proper posture, your child will significantly reduce their chance of suffering from back, neck, and shoulder pain. 

Your child has been begging for a fancy new backpack, but what looks trendy today can often lead to back issues later. Instead, consider looking for a backpack made of durable material that features additional padding on the lower back area along with wide, padded ergonomic straps. 

Pay close attention to how contents and their combined weight are loaded into the backpack. When loading the backpack, consider putting the heaviest items (like books) closest to the body, with lighter and oddly-shaped items furthest away. For the weight of the backpack to be evenly distributed, ensure the straps are correctly adjusted. Keep in mind the backpack's weight should not exceed 10-15% of the child's body weight. Ensure both shoulder straps should be worn and that the backpack sits snugly against the child's back. The lower part of the backpack should not extend beyond the child's backside. If the backpack reaches down to the child's backpack, it is hanging too low. 

Implementing these tips into your child’s daily routine will help to avoid any negative physical effects. 

If your school-aged child could benefit from a chiropractic adjustment, contact our Core Chiropractic Center to book a treatment making the transition back to school as smooth as possible!