How Your Child’s Habits Could Be Hurting Their Spine

As parents, we want to protect children from harm to their young bodies. Yet, it can be challenging to keep track of all they do and how it indirectly impacts their health. Unfortunately, many children’s daily habits have negative impacts on their spine. 

If your child is complaining about back pain, their posture needs improvement, or you’re interested in proactive health tips, keep reading to learn how your child’s habits could be hurting their spine.

SCREEN TIME

With many schools using virtual learning, kids are finding themselves using technology as a daily part of life more than ever. Here are Alliance’s tips to help establish healthy screen time habits with the proper posture.

• When children are looking at phones, tell them to hold it up in front of their faces. They need to avoid hunching over to look at the screen.
• Similarly with iPads, instead of slouching on the couch, ask them to sit up straight and use the device at a table. 
• If your child spends a lot of time sitting at a desk to use a computer, make sure the monitor is set up correctly so that the screen is at eye level and your child’s feet can rest firmly on the floor or a stool.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 

When your child is physically active, their body is properly developing the muscles that keep their spine, abdomen, lower back, and hips in shape. Staying active can prevent injuries and pain from developing in the future for children.

Make sure your child has at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. It can be going outside to play or participating in a team sport. 

BACKPACK SAFETY

If your child uses a backpack on a regular basis, you need to be aware of how it’s adjusted. It’s easy to overlook, which later can lead to aches and pains in your child’s shoulders, neck, and spine. 

Here are a few rules to keep in mind when adjusting your child’s backpack:

• Ensure it sits evenly in the middle of their back. 
• Children’s backpacks shouldn’t have more than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight, meaning they should easily be able to put it on and take it off themselves.
• No one-strap bags. In the same vein, don’t allow your child to wear a backpack on just one shoulder. 
• Read more about how backpacks affect children’s spine health.

PAY ATTENTION TO SHOES 

Shoes with strong support are best for everyone, but especially for kids. They spend lots of time on their feet. Try to select sneakers with support that are lightweight, flexible, and also breathable. Shoes without these characteristics can lead to issues with your child’s feet, hips, and even lower back. 

If you have any additional questions about issues with back pain or posture or how your child’s habits could be hurting their spine, contact Alliance and Spine Health to speak with our specialists or call 770-929-9033.