Menu

Chiropractic Tips for the Back to School Season



It’s hard to believe but the new school year is already right around the corner. And when it comes to being healthy in school, it’s very easy to dismiss the importance of chiropractic care. Whether it’s about back pain, sitting, or sleep the chiropractors at Bettendorf Chiropractic Wellness Center want to provide some quick back to school chiropractic tips for you or your children.


4 Back to School Chiropractic Tips

1. Back to School Immunity

The back to school season brings lots of exposure to new bacterias and pathogens so keeping your child’s immune system defense strong is of utmost importance, especially this year thanks to Covid-19. You can help your child avoid these unwanted symptoms by improving their bodies’ defense and giving them an extra edge on their peers. Here are a few easy and natural ways to boost your little one’s immunity and keep them healthy and happy throughout the school year.

-Add fruits and veggies to your child’s diet can add great sources of immune boosting vitamins and minerals which they can be missing out on if their diet contains high amounts of processed foods. If getting your kids to eat their fruits and veggies is a battle, a great solution is a fruit smoothie. You can even sneak in some leafy greens, like spinach, or good healthy fats, like avocado, into the smoothie without them even noticing!

-Chiropractic adjustments have also been shown to help boost your child’s immune system by ensuring your child’s nervous system is functioning at 100%. Remember, it is best to have your child checked for spinal stress before any symptoms begin! Regular chiropractic adjustments can keep your kid’s defense system working optimally and help avoid any back to school setbacks.

0170571001597765121.jpg


2.Focus on your Posture

Sitting at a school desk for long hours and five days a week can put enormous stress on your back if your posture is off. These long periods of “non-ergonomic” sitting allows tension to build up overtime in the back, shoulders, and neck areas. Many adults these days work in offices that are now providing ergonomic solutions with adjustable chairs, standing desks, etc. Unfortunately, students don’t have those luxuries, as schools or at home and typically have fixed desks or tables that are not adjustable.

When sitting at a desk, we recommend maintaining a straight posture with as little “slouching” as possible. It sounds simple but sitting with a straight posture consistently will prevent possible distress on the spine. However, we should point out that it’s even more important to not be sitting all day. We understand there are certain requirements and what not, but make it a priority to stand up and be on your feet as much as possible during the school day.

0414827001597765229.jpg

3. Prioritize Consistent Sleep

It’s no surprise that consistent sleep and chiropractic health go hand in hand. Although this is an important tip all the time, it’s especially important during the school year. With busy schedules prioritizing sleep can often take a back seat. We recommend sticking to a consistent bedtime every night along with sleeping at least eight hours per night. If you or your child isn’t getting enough sleep every night, the body and brain functions can suffer.

0515098001597765281.jpg

4. Pay Attention to Backpacks

Although back pain is common in general for several adults and children, many parents don’t realize the importance of backpacks and how their children carry them. It may not seem like a huge deal to worry about, but carrying a heavy, mis fitted backpack every day to school can be bad news for the spine.

Backpack weight is a common issue among students. It has been observed that heavy backpacks are the number 1 reason for neck pains, back pains and shoulder pains among adolescents. Due to the weight they carry, their body’s nervous system begins to respond with pain because it is just too much, because kids put almost everything in their backpacks, they tend to carry too much weight in it. Research has it that kids should not carry more than 10-15% of their body weight. That is, if for example a child weighs 70lbs, the entire weight of the backpack should be within the range of 7-10.5lbs.

0102410001597765307.jpg

Effects Of Carrying Heavy Backpacks:

Ruined Body Posture

Kids who carry heavy backpacks have high tendencies of ruining their body posture. They begin to lean forward unconsciously even when they are not carrying backpacks.

Strain

Going around their school day with heavy backpacks can lead to strains for kids. Their upper and lower back, their neck and their shoulders begin to take the brunt of the weight.

Misaligned Spine

The spine is one of the most pivotal areas in the human body especially in regards to posture. Heavy backpacks can lead to the misalignment of the spine which in the long run affects the entire nervous system. It could also lead to scoliosis when the spine begins to curve as a result of the compression of heavy weights continuously being placed on it.

Fatigue

Kids sometimes can carry as much as 30-40% of their body weight and this can lead to a general weakness in their entire body, but mostly weakness in the arms and hands. This generally affects a kid’s productivity both in and out of school.

Falling Over

Children with heavy backpacks have very high chances of falling over because of the imbalance between the weight they are carrying and their overall body weight. Apart from this, having heavy backpacks lying around carelessly can easily cause another to trip and fall. This causes injuries among kids.

 How you wear a backpack is also a factor. It may look cool to sling backpacks over one shoulder, but this isn’t optimal. Make sure you’re using both straps, they fit snugly over your shoulders, and that the backpack doesn’t fall below your belt line. Make sure the backpack is no higher than your torso and no lower than 4 inches below your waist. Backpacks should be adjusted to sit properly on one’s back and not on the waist. Also, use the abdominal strap. This strap is one of the most underused features in a backpack. However, this strap is very important because it helps the backpack to sit properly on the back without tilting toward one side or the other. This strap makes the backpack balanced.

For more information about how to keep you or your child’s back healthy during back to school, contact Bettendorf Chiropractic today.