Back to school tips

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Back to school tips for a healthy back!

 

Pencils, notebook paper and mountains of textbooks. That's what

most people think of when they hear the phrase " back to school " .

But that's just the beginning.

 

Preparing a child to start, or return, to school requires that mom

and dad do a bit of homework first! Fortunately I am an educator

and a chiropractor.

 

I instruct parents on nutrition, back care and a wealth of related

topics:

 

Back Care 101

 

Children who learn proper back saving techniques in elementary

school retain the information for An entire year, according to a

recent study in Belgium. The study involved 198 students who

received back-care instruction and 165 controls who did not. All of

the youngsters were age 9 to 11.

 

Follow up tests were conducted at 1 week, 3 month and 1 year

intervals. The results? Students who received back-care instruction

scored significantly higher than those who didn't (Spine 2002;

27:299-305)

 

Children as well as adults often suffer from a condition known as

vertebral subluxation. This condition occurs when spinal movement

is restricted or spinal bones become misaligned.

 

Vertebral subluxation are linked with a myriad of health concerns

such as carpal tunnel, headaches, backaches, infantile colic and ear

infections. I specialize in the correction of vertebral

subluxations.

 

The following are easy tips you can learn to help with reducing

spinal stress and move toward a healthy back:

 

Ergonomics are just as important in the classroom as they are at the

office. Slumping over a school desk like slumping over a work desk

can lead to musculaskeletal disorders, vertebral subluxations and an

increased likelihood of adult onset osteoarthritis. The following

tips are taken from www.education-world.com

Sit up straight with feet on the floor or a footrest

Keep lower arms level with table and wrists straight

Tap the keyboard lightly. Don't pound.

Place the mouse within easy reach of the dominant hand

Hold the mouse loosely. Don't squeeze

Place the monitor at eye level, 16-24 inches away.

Take a short break every 20 minutes. Get up and move around.

Exercise eyes frequently. Look away from the monitor and focus on

distant objects.

 

BACKPACKS

 

An over stuffed backpack can result in serious injury.

 

How heavy is too heavy? Even a backpack weighing 15 percent of a

student's body weight is too heavy to maintain standing posture.

This sets the youngster up for vertebral subluxation and poor

posture.

 

Experts recommend that both shoulder straps should be used to help

distribute the backpack's weight evenly between shoulders; and the

waist strap should be used to prevent possible injury during

movement.

 

NUTRITION

 

Sudies reveal a direct link between nutrition and a student's

ability to learn.

Parents should focus on natural whole foods(such as whole-grain

breads and cereals) Try to skip items containing refined sugars

and " white " flour. Choose nuts instead of candies. Recent studies

show excessive sugar may weaken the immune system and impair

cognitive function.

 

Explore the local health food store for an extensive array of tummy

tempting treats your children will gobble up. In fact, you might

like them too!

 

Footwear

 

Shoes that don't provide adequate support can throw your entire

skeleton out of alignment. Improper foot position can lead to flat

feet, knee problems, low back problems and even headaches. Check to

see if the shoes are being worn down unevenly. If so, please call

our office or e-mail me to ask what you should do.

 

A back to school check-up

 

Between the endless trips to the mall for new shoes, new clothes and

school supplies, take a few moments to go over this check list with

your children and schedule a spinal back to school checkup for your

child.

 

And don't forget to bring your child's backpack along so that I can

provide safety tips on its use. I will also discuss the proper

studying ergonomics with your child.

 

HAVE A GREAT INJURY-FREE SCHOOL YEAR

 

For better Health

Dr. Mark L, Schwartz, DC