Ergonomic Tips for Back-to-School Kids

Hi everybody, Dr. Paula here, good to talk to you.

Well, it's that time of year where we have students heading back to school. Primary school students, teenagers in high school, certainly that's the case in my household. If you're a parent like me, you're probably running through the mental list and running around trying to make sure they've got their uniform, they've got their shoes, they’ve got their hats, and of course, then there's the lunch boxes and water bottles. However, the other thing I'd like you to consider is making sure that their spinal health is in good preparation for returning to school. Now, over the holidays, maybe the children had some screen time. And whilst we may feel that it's great they're going back to school, they're gonna be engaged, they're gonna be running around, we often overlook the fact that students have ergonomic needs as well, just like office workers or outside workers have ergonomics. So a couple of things I'd like to share with you today, is making sure that the kids get to change position. So you could get them to stand up and put their device, if they're using device, up higher, or their books up higher, apart from the table or the desk they're working at. When their device or book is at an appropriate height, they can go from slumping in their chair to sitting up straighter. Backpacks, of course, should be used on both straps. The idea is to not carry too much in there, do we have to carry everything that's in there? Can some things be left home? And if you're going to wear it, there's often usually a waist strap and making sure that the weight is closest to the spine in the bag. So there you have it. There's a couple of really quick and easy tips about improving ergonomics in students. Now, if you have a student who is starting to complain of neck or upper back pain, even lower back pain, this clinic is one that looks after young people and I'm delighted to look after the young people in my practice. Perhaps I can be of help. If you'd like to talk to me about it, feel free. Otherwise, you can call the clinic or check us out or book online on the website.