The children may be back at school this week but make sure you are helping them to avoid back pain. Alison Eaves, chiropractor here at Revive Chiropractic in Leeds, discusses some research from the British Chiropractic Association on increasing rates of back pain in children.
So why is back pain affecting children and why is it getting worse?
Children of today’s generation are much more sedentary than they have previously been, largely due to the amount of time spent on mobile phones, tablets, computers and social networking sites. Children are also getting much less exercise. Sitting for long periods of time can lead to the muscles, joints and soft tissues becoming stiff and painful. The use of handheld devices such as mobile phones and tablets only adds to the slumped posture and rounded shoulders.
Is back pain in children normal?
No : but don’t panic. Whilst back pain in children can be a sign of more underlying conditions this is very rare. Most back pain is easily treated with just a few sessions and some simple exercises and advice. Kids respond really quickly to treatment and it is important to get to the root cause of any back pain so that they do not grow up thinking back pain is ‘normal’.
What can be done?
Firstly, get your children up and about. Limit them to about 40 minutes of sedentary activity and encourage them to get up, move about and get active. If they are sitting for any length of time, make sure they are sitting upright and not lying on their front propped up on elbow or sat slumped on the floor.
If they complain of back pain or neck pain for a period of several weeks then it may be worthwhile booking an appointment to see a chiropractor who is used to treating young children. Alison is a chiropractor in Leeds and has experience treating young children and teenagers.
You can visit www.revivechirorpractic.co.uk or call 0728 686026 to book an appointment with Alison.
