Since it is the first day of school it is important to address posture with our children now carrying backpacks, sitting for prolonged periods and poor postural habits on a day to day basis such as texting, video games etc.
I usually will hear about a lot of parents who complain about their child’s slouching and keep on reminding them to stand up straight. Poor posture can actually affect more than the vanity aspect of the body but rather have a profound effect on the dysfunction of many vital systems and cause certain symptomology due to the compression of specific spinal areas.
Here are a few issues to watch out for:
Uneven Base of the Skull
Symptoms– Headaches, Neck Pain, Ear/Eye Problems, Sinus, Focus Issues
Rounded Shoulders/ Uneven Shoulders
Symptoms– Arm Pain, Middle Back Pain, Respiratory Issues, Digestive Issues
Uneven hip/ Increase in Lumbar Lordosis-curvature in the lower back
Symptoms– Lower Back Pain, Bowel and Bladder Issues, Constipation and Diarrhea
Flat Feet/Placing too much pressure in the medial arch and/or lateral portion of the foot.
Symptoms– Hip Pain, Knee Pain, Plantar Fasciitis
A common cause for the variation in a child’s posture can actually be due to a backpack and the incorrect mechanics of how to wear it properly and the actual weight distribution of it. A lot of the time a child’s backpack has everything but the kitchen sink inside of it. It is important to look at material, wearability and weight.
Here’s a link to the Ontario Chiropractic Association’s article on Pack it Light, Wear it Right.
www.chiropractic.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/Pack-it-Light-Children-PDF.pdf
Feel free to visit or contact us if you have any questions. We would be happy to assess posture, backpack fitting and overall spinal health of your child.
By: Dr. Teesha Geevarghese (B.Sc., D.C.) Chiropractor
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