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Children's Back Pain AS YOUR CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL CONSIDER THE HEALTH OF THEIR SPINES. Recent research show that children as young as seven are suffering back problems due to poor posture and their increasing sedentary lifestyles and a new study of 10-year-olds also reveals up to 10 per cent of the child population may have already triggered a time bomb that will lead to bad backs in adulthood. The study of 154 10-year-olds discovered nine per cent of them already had problems with at least one of the discs in their back. Dr Francis Smith, who led the study, said: “We found degenerative changes in the spine much earlier than we ever would have suspected. This study revises our thoughts on when we should begin preventive back care. Proactive steps should begin early in life, even before puberty”. Experts claim that poor classroom seating and lugging heavy school bags are major causes of back pain in later life, with three million working days lost to the problem in the UK last year. Hours spent watching TV and playing video games are also believed to have contributed to the “epidemic of poor posture”. FOLLOW THIS ADVICE TO HELP YOUR CHILD IN THE PREVENTION OF BACK PROBLEMS. ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO EXERCISE Britain ’s children have never been so unfit. Overall, nearly one-third of boys and almost half of girls do not manage to do half and hour’s physical activity a week. Try to limit time spent on computers and watching television and after 20 minutes they should do some exercise or at least change position. Also walk your children to school instead of driving! Regular exercise not only improves joint flexibility and pumps blood to muscles bringing oxygen and nutrients to these areas, it also improves nerve function to the brain, helping with concentration and mental performances. Why not try one of our ‘KIDDY FIT’classes? CHOOSE FOOTWEAR CAREFULLY Lace-up shoes are the best choice for protecting children against back ache because they tend to be sturdy and hug the foot, keeping it firmly in place. Alternatively, choose a shoe with wide straps to keep your child’s foot snug in the shoe. Your child’s shoes should not be too floppy. If you can bend your child’s shoe in half, it’s too soft. When buying trainers always choose a shoe that supports the bones of the feet. Baseball and skateboard shoes tend to be too soft and do not keep the foot in the correct biomechanical position which can lead to back pain. Trainers tend to wear out quickly and lose shock absorption ability quickly, so change them every six months if your child is wearing trainers regularly. Our PODIATRIST can assess your child’s feet and give valuable advice on footwear. SWAP SATCHELS FOR RUCKSACKS Nowadays, many schools no longer have lockers or cloakrooms, which means children have to carry heavy school bags around with them all day. Our physiotherapists suggest swapping satchels for rucksacks because the weight of the bag is more evenly distributed across both shoulders. Also discourage your child from taking the week’s books into school every day. Instead, suggest they take the books only required for that day’s lesson which will instantly lighten the load! GET INJURIES CHECKED OUT Children tend to fall off bikes and slides regularly and even though back pain may not be obvious, it’s important to get it checked out. Hidden injuries can cause permanent stiffness which can lead to muscle wasting or spasms around the joints. Children’s back pain can manifest in less obvious places than adults, so if your child complains of a headache or stomach ache after a fall that’s been more serious than usual, it’s worth getting it checked out. You can always see one of our PHYSIOTHERAPISTS for an assessment of any injuries, but why wait? We can do a ‘ BODYFIT’ assessment to check posture, muscle balance, strength and flexibility, to prevent problems coming on in the first place! Physio for all |
