Backpacks are a necessity with all the work that children have lined up for the next school year. From laptops to books, all of their necessary materials are carried for long periods on their backs. Although handy, it does affect their physical development as backpack weights continue to increase throughout the years.
Many health services and professionals such as a pediatric chiropractor get worried about the trend of back issues becoming more prevalent. That’s why Foundations Family Chiropractic, a Surrey Family Chiropractic Center, has focused on helping families deal with this emerging issue.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the effects of wearing a heavy backpack on schoolchildren. We’ll also go through some health tips for parents to ensure their children are ready for a healthy and active school year!
The Effects Of Backpacks On Your Child’s Posture
Out of the many factors that could affect your child’s spinal health, the backpack, and its effects must be one of the most researched. Many sources point towards the weights of bags becoming considerably heavier, even up to around 25% of their body weight! This, in turn, causes a lot more stress on the body and can start to affect their bio mechanical functions as time goes on.
A whole load of things is stuffed there daily, from heavy laptops to books that come in all sorts of weights. Researchers have even found that school lockers have been slowly removed from schools due to various security concerns. As children have to carry their books longer, reports of discomfort on the shoulders and back become more common.
Aside from increased occurrences of body pain, children are now faced with the chances of scoliosis and other back-related issues. A study in 2004 found that around 70% of study participants received a pathology report indicating scoliosis. Others had been found with muscle stiffening and contractures. These occurrences have emphasized the need for child care services and pediatric chiropractic care services all around.
Caring For Your Back With Good Backpack Use
Preventing these potential issues is still possible even with increasing workloads and, subsequently, bag weights. One option is for schools to reduce the workload they give students. This helps to ensure that children going to school don’t have anything that could hamper their physical development as they grow older.
For the students themselves, making it a habit to wear their backpacks properly is the right call. You should ensure that your backpack is situated on your middle back and doesn’t drop down to your waist. Make sure to lift your backpack with your legs instead of bending your back to avoid injuries. Lastly, make sure to wear both straps as it distributes the weight of all your items evenly.
Tips To Make Sure Your Kid’s Posture Remains Steady!
As children are starting to go back to school, it’s important to get them back into habits that will have positive effects on their overall health. Here are some tips that we’ve compiled to help you ensure your child’s posture remains steady:
The Right Home Habits
Any good routine starts with a good night’s sleep and back health routines are no different! Make sure to have your kid follow a good sleep schedule and check with them if they’re having a good sleep experience.
With gadgets taking up a whole lot of our time, you’ll want to slowly wane yourself off using them till the late hours of the night. If you find that completely removing electronics is too difficult, you could use them as sleeping aids by playing calming music through them instead.
Proper exercise and nutrition are other keys to making sure your child stays on top of their health! Make sure to pack their bags with a good amount of water and keep them active even on the weekends. You could even join in and get some exercise down, creating more valuable family time for everyone involved.
Checking In With Pediatric Professionals
Of course, there’s more that can be done when you’ve got an expert helping you to create routines and habits for your children! Meeting with a pediatric chiropractor might be the best choice when you’re child starts experiencing discomfort. That’s why Foundations Family Chiropractic has set itself up to be the most reliable chiropractor service in Surrey!
We believe in taking care of our local community with the best chiropractic services in Surrey. Visit our website to learn more about the many different services we can offer you and how we can help you and your kids to lead healthier lives!
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