Kid’s and Chiropractic Care
As parents, we continue to adapt to new changes throughout the year to help our kids get back to a familiar routine with school. We have strengthened their mental, social, and emotional wellbeing, but their overloaded backpacks and frequent use of technology have impacted our children physically.
Chiropractic care can be used for all family members including kids. Misalignments of the spine can be caused by many types of lifestyle issues. From the birthing process, sports injuries, and just everyday slips and falls. Even stress can affect your spinal health. A healthy spine can help increase your overall immune wellness.
Children’s spines and nervous systems are soft and flexible. The human body grows quickly until about age 16 before slowing down and stabilizing for adulthood. These early years can determine how healthy a person will be as an adult. The spine is very susceptible to injuries and uneven loads, which can cause vertebral subluxations—a misalignment in the spine causing nerve pressure. Since the spine and nervous system control all of the body's functions, not only can their musculoskeletal system be harmed, but also the respiratory, digestive, and cardiovascular systems. How your child carries their backpack, and maintains proper posture while using technology, is incredibly important to their health.
Recent public health changes have taken the backpack issue and amplified its effect on your child’s spine. Since returning to in-person learning, children are required to carry more than ever in their backpack. A typical 2-pound backpack now holds 2-pounds of school supplies, a 4-pound Chromebook, a 2-pound water bottle, and a 2-pound lunch. That is an additional 12-pound bag of potatoes each kid is carrying on top of those heavy books.
When choosing a backpack, please keep in mind:
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Start with a lightweight backpack
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Make sure the shoulder straps are wide and padded
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The backpack should also be padded
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Look for a backpack with a waist strap
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Multiple compartments are a plus
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Both straps should be worn at the same time
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DO NOT OVERLOAD!
Tech neck or text neck is a new name for an old problem—neck pain caused by repetitive strain and injury to the muscles and soft tissue structures of the cervical spine. While a typical child’s head weighs between 6 and 10 pounds, a study quoted in the Washington Post reports that an adult head weighing 12 pounds and tilted forward just 15 degrees now puts 27 pounds of pressure on the spine. At 45 degrees it’s 49 pounds, and 60 pounds at 60 degrees. How many kids have you seen tilting their heads more than 60 degrees forward while texting? It’s an epidemic!
So, what do we do about it?
Chiropractic spinal adjustments are ideally suited to help our kids be happy and healthy. By gently realigning the vertebra of the neck and upper back, the nervous system can recover and help our kids be healthy again. Exercises will be prescribed to strengthen the muscles and ligaments so less damage will be caused going forward. And since our kids will need to continue to use their phones and backpacks during the school year, regular chiropractic checkups can keep them healthy.
Contact Clairpoint Family Chiropractic at www.clairpointe.com
