It's Back to School again, which is a pain in the back for most kids, in more ways than one. Almost half of school-aged children suffer from back and/or neck pain! It's no wonder when you consider the excessively heavy backpack that most children carry, filled with textbooks, laptops, sports equipment and lunch. Then, when you add into the mix a day spent sitting with terrible posture and more time spent than ever before in front of a computer, laptop, iPad and phone; it start's to become clear why children's spines are having a touch time coping.
There a few simple things you can do, on a day-to-day basis, to ensure that your children are minimising their risk of back pain.
When choosing a school backpack for your kids make sure:
- the material is sturdy, made of vinyl or canvas.
- the backpack is no wider than your child's chest.
- shoulder straps are wide and padded.
- it includes a waist belt for extra support
When wearing the backpack, ensure weight is evenly distributed over both shoulders and the straps fit just tight enough so that the bottom of the bag does not drop lower than the buttocks.
And pack the bag with heavier objects placed nearest to the back, closer to the spine, and lighter objects further away.
To find out more, read the full article at:
http://www.waterschiro.com.au/health-for-your-family
