It’s hard to believe that summer is winding down and that school starts very shortly. In honor of the back-to-school season, we’d like to share some chiropractic tips for your students’ overall wellness. These are easy to implement and can help your student’s physical and mental health.
Encourage your students to wear their backpack properly. While many chiropractic offices are most familiar with back pain for adults, it is becoming more common in children and teens too. One way to combat this is for your student to properly wear their backpack. Though it may be “cool” to wear it on just one shoulder, it can cause misalignment in the spine and this will inevitably lead to back pain. Use both straps and adjust them to fit snugly around your student’s shoulders. The backpack should not droop below the belt line. You also want to be sure that the backpack weighs no more than 5-10% of your student’s weight. If it weighs more than this, your student will tend to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back which will also lead to pain and strains.
Have you heard of “text neck”? While it’s great that many students are receiving tablets to alleviate heavy books, this now introduces a new problem. Students are staring down at a screen for long periods of time. More than likely, they are sitting with improper posture as their head tilts forward and goes over the top of their shoulders; enter: “text neck”. Students should be cognizant of their posture as they are reading a tablet or book. One way to help with this is to make sure that your student’s tablet (or textbook) is in a stand that tilts toward them and that their head doesn’t tilt over their shoulders. By keeping proper posture and taking breaks to rest their eyes, students can alleviate headaches and other issues that come from concentrating on a screen for lengthy periods of time.
Finally, sit up straight! When students are sitting at their desks at school, they need to be mindful of proper posture. To sit correctly at a desk, students should:
- Keep feet flat on the floor
- Shoulders back
- Head over top of their neck
- Neck over top of their shoulders
- Keep books or tablets at eye level
Some students tend to slouch and start sliding underneath the desk, but they really should keep their back against the back of the chair. Make sure their head is on top of their shoulders and not leaning too far forward. This will help with spinal health and attentiveness.
Following these simple tips can work against fatigue, pain, and other problems that inhibit learning. Wearing appropriate footwear for physical activity and taking time to add in stretches throughout the day are great bonuses too. As always, we are excited for your student to head back to school, and we are available to help them through their wellness journey too!