Time to get ready for Back-to-School: The importance of posture

#BeavertonHealth&Happiness

What we know

It’s August, so the end of summer is near. The time that most children dread and most parents wait for, because the beginning of school is just around the corner.

This school year, like last year, begins with uncertainty. Masks or no masks? In-person or online? Hybrid or full day? The list goes on and on and on. Plus, it seems as if the rules and information change all the time.

What we do know is that once September rolls around, children will be back in school. And with that there will be backpacks and sitting at desks – or Chromebooks and kitchen tables. Each scenario brings postural stress and strain to the body of the child. And with the stress comes an increase in sickness and/or future health consequences.

For many, it is assumed that a child’s body is more adaptive to physical stresses because they are younger and still growing. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Abnormal posture can set a child up for lifetime of back pain, neck pain, headaches and more.

So, what should be done?

For those going back to the classroom, be sure the child is careful as to how many books get placed in their backpack. Ideally the total weight of the pack should be no more that 15% of the child’s total body weight.

If online schooling is the option of choice, assess the positioning of the computer or Chromebook. Sitting on a bed, or hunched over a coffee table is very hard on the spine of a child.

A suggestion for homeschoolers would be to have them stand up, wiggle around, and stretch every 30 minutes or so, then back to work.

Regardless of which schooling option a child takes, making sure that their spine is functioning at it’s best is critical for short term and long-term health. Getting an evaluation by a chiropractor that works with children can go a long way to prevent permanent damage to the developing spine of a child. A great resource to find a chiropractor in your area is the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (icpa4kids.com).

Dr. Dan Miller has been serving the Beaverton area since 1992. He has long held the belief that good health begins before birth. As a certified member of the ICPA, he has worked with thousands of parents and children over the years. For more information, visit his website at: www.BeavertonFamilyChiropractic.com