Teachers do a lot in a day. They stand for long periods of time, they stoop and bend, pick up children, carry stacks of papers, and sit for long periods while they grade papers. It’s no wonder that so many teachers end up with aching backs! While low back pain is the number one cause of disability worldwide, it’s easy to see how teachers may be more susceptible to experiencing it.
Chiropractic care can help keep teachers standing upright and moving about – as well as other great benefits. A teacher with back pain can’t be as effective as they would be if they weren’t in pain. It makes it harder for them to do their job. Regular chiropractic care can help offset what their body goes through in a day and relieves the pain so they can do what they love – shape young minds.
What Teachers Really Do
Teaching is a tough profession. The typical teacher arrives at school before it starts (usually between 6:30 am and 7:30 am) and they don’t leave until well after the last bell has rung (often between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm). They grade exams during their vacations and spend hours preparing lessons, quizzes, activities, and tests. In middle and high school, they teach five or six classes a day which means a lot of talking and a lot of standing. Combine the stress with the physical demands of the job and it’s no wonder aching feet and backs are the bane of a teacher’s existence.
The Impact of Teaching on the Body
There have been several studies that explore the effects of the physical demands that are put upon a teacher. One study analyzed the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in special education teachers and teachers’ aides. It found that the three areas most affected were the wrist, shoulder, and back. It found that 86% of the teachers who participated had physical pain and musculoskeletal condition. Another study examined teachers in a municipal school network in Brazil. It found that:
- 41.1% complained of foot, leg, and knee pain (lower limbs)
- 23.7% complained of shoulder, neck, and wrist pain (upper limbs)
- 41.1% complained of back pain
A third study that assessed teachers in Malaysia reported that 62.5% of the teachers surveyed complained of low back pain.
How Chiropractic Care Helps Teachers with Low Back Pain
Several studies show that chiropractic care is a very effective treatment for back pain. The chiropractor will perform a spinal adjustment to bring the spine (and body) into proper alignment. He may also offer advice on exercises, stretching, and ways to improve posture as well as recommending lifestyle changes and what to look for in supportive shoes. Chiropractic’s whole-body approach not only helps relieve back pain, it helps prevent it as well.
Additional Benefits Teachers can Gain from Chiropractic
While less back pain is great news for teachers, there are other benefits they can reap form chiropractic as well. That’s because it doesn’t focus solely on the back or pain, it looks at the whole body. Every day teachers put a lot of stress on their bodies, bending over to help a child with their work, standing to give a lecture, sitting for hours grading papers, and reaching to write on the blackboard. All of this can take a toll on the body, not just physically, but in other ways as wall. It can result in headaches, insomnia, and even frequent illness. A chiropractor can address all those things and make recommendations regarding lifestyle and diet as well as spinal manipulation.
This allows the patient to gain whole body benefits from chiropractic.
- Improved mental clarity and cognitive function.
- Healthier posture.
- Improved quality of sleep.
- Stronger immune system.
- Fewer migraines and headaches.
- Healthier spine.
If you are a teacher, chiropractic care is one of the best ways you can be good to yourself – and you deserve it.
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