With kids back in school, it is important to protect them from back pain. Unfortunately, back pain is one of the most common reasons why people have to see a doctor, and this discomfort can impact people of all ages. Fortunately, there are a few tips you can follow to protect your child from back pain. What do you need to know about backpacks, and how can you prevent back pain from developing in your children? Continue reading to find out…
1. Use Both Shoulder Straps
One of the first tips children and parents should follow is to make sure that both shoulder straps are used. A lot of children will only use one shoulder strap when they are lugging their backpacks from place to place. Perhaps they think it makes them look cool, or maybe they are simply in a hurry. Unfortunately, this places all of the stress on one half of the body, causing the back and spine to tilt.
This is one of the fastest ways for kids to knock their spines out of alignment, so it is important to use both shoulder straps every time. Make sure the shoulder straps are relatively tight to keep the backpack from moving around as children walk from place to place. Using both shoulder straps can minimize the development of back pain.
2. Minimize the Items in the Backpack
Another easy way to prevent back pain from developing in children is to minimize the number of items in the backpack. By lightening the backpack, there is a lower chance of children developing back pain.
For example, it may be helpful to keep the textbooks at home. Then, children may want to borrow a copy of the textbook from a classroom if they need it at school. Or, it might be helpful to see if there are electronic versions of the books to prevent families from having to buy textbooks at all. When online books are available your child can leave their classroom notebook or Chromebook in the classroom. Using a home computer for online reading helps lighten the backpack load.
If textbooks, notebooks, or Chromebooks need to go in the backpack, try to pack them at the rear, against your child’s back. That way, they are close to the body’s center of gravity, making it easier for children to remain balanced as they walk from place to place with the backpack.
3. Make Sure Items Are Evenly Distributed
It is also important to make sure that all items in the backpack have been evenly distributed. For example, there are some situations where all the books may be clustered to one side. This can make it difficult for children to remain balanced, causing them to lean over. This can lead to back pain.
Furthermore, when packing the backpack, make sure nothing is poking the kids in the back, side, or bottom. Sometimes, there are sharp objects, such as pencils and scissors, that may be sticking out. Children may have to adjust their walking posture to avoid this discomfort, which can also lead to back pain. Be prudent about how all items are distributed in the backpack. This could prevent the development of chronic comfort.
See a Local Chiropractor
Even if you follow all of these tips, your child may still develop back pain. Therefore, it is important to reach out to your local chiropractor. Why chiropractic? Because Doctors of Chiropractic are specifically trained to evaluate, diagnose and treat spinal issues no matter how old you are.
So before you opt for more invasive options, speak to your local chiropractor about how he or she can help your child recover from back pain. If you don’t have a local chiropractor, give us a call. We’d love to assist you and your child and are always here to help!
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