X + Y = 1/3 of America’s Children With Back or Neck Pain. Now, Let’s Solve For These Variables
Almost a third of US children and adolescents have back or neck pain with many of these cases continuing on chronically into adulthood, lending towards disability. One way to take a bite out of long-term pain and spit out the opioid problem is to prevent issues from ever arising. In this podcast, we discuss how to jump-start better posture and body mechanics into your child’s everyday routine.
Reinforcement materials found on our website along with our new book, Lord O’sis : An Ounce of Back Pain Prevention For Our Pint-Sized Peeps, function as good companions with just the right lingo to silly-up the home as a haven for good form.
Summary of Ideas:
Begin by praising good body mechanics….
Reign in the lingo of good form into the everyday vernacular. Much of these word schemes and rhymes can be derived from my book, but you can come up with your own as well. When kids lift in a stellar way? Point it out and praise it. Be specific at times as well. “I love how you hinged at the hip when you dipped to pick that up, and didn’t hunch your back.”
Give your kids book or device stands and tell them how much better their posture is. Say, “now, doesn’t that feel better,” and a few minutes later remind them how that book or device stand really looks like it is helping“ and “way to keep your head out of the sand with that fancy book stand.”
Supply ergonomic chairs with back and lumbar support, or supply a small lumbar roll to be placed in the arch of their lower back (called the lordosis) position it horizontally just opposite their navel.
Supply standing-sitting desks.
Take micro-breaks with them. These microbreaks can be about every 15 mins or less and last for just a few minutes of movement and position change. It will also increase their resolve during reading or studying, as bite size sections of learning are easier to comply with. Mentally, these starts and stops lend towards better memory acquisition.
Create or upload an ergocomical I love my spine chart that we post on our site as this can be a great jump start to let your kids know that spinal hygiene is important,.. where you can star a stellar lift, or a bending forward - hinge at the hip, or how they kept their head out of the sand with a fancy book stand. Alternatively, you can upload the heart-spine logo from our website, and plaster it on a jar, placing coins inside at the sight of a good lift or study session where good posture was displayed.