Whether or not your kids are heading back to school or staying at home this year for alternative learning options, there are things we can do to help protect kids’ spines are they are growing. Here are a few back pack tips for those kids heading back to classes:

1. Backpacks should never weigh more than 10% of your child’s weight.

2. Backpacks should always be worn on both straps to promote balance thru the spine.

3. Straps on the backpack should be shortened so that the bottom of the pack rests on the top of the pelvis.

4. If the backpack has a waist strap, do up the strap so that weight is also distributed to the hips.

For all kids (and adults) who are studying (or working) from home, here are some ergonomic desk and computer tips:

1. Your seat doesn’t always have to be a chair. It can be a stability ball or a fancy instability stool. Even an instability disc on a chair can help with increasing core strength and decreasing low back pain, but can also help those kiddos burn off some of that excess energy by allowing them to bounce while studying.

2. The height of your seat should allow for your knees to be bent no more than 90 degrees with your feet flat on the floors. Anything more than 90 degrees increases the risk for knee pain.

3. The height of your desk should allow for your shoulders to be relaxed and for your keyboard to be slightly lower than your elbows when bent at 90 degrees or less. Again, this is to reduce stress on the elbows and tension in the neck.

4. The height of your desk should also be at a comfortable height so that you DON’T SLOUCH! Slouching increases the pressure on your spine by 80% and can increase your risk for spinal pain.

5. Computer monitors should be at eye level and straight in front of you when the chin is parallel with the floor. This reduces neck strain.

6. With a laptop, a laptop riser is recommended with an external keyboard to accommodate point #3. Laptop risers can also be used to support textbooks so that when reading, your neck is in a neutral position.

7. Frequent stretching. It is important to move every 30-45 minutes to keep the body from tightening up. Take a 5 minute break to use the bathroom, rest your eyes, stretch and hydrate.

Children can be very resilient but keep in mind, they not only inherit their eyes and nose from you, they also inherit their spines. Developing good spinal habits as children can help serve them as adults. If your child experiences headaches or spinal discomfort, correct their spinal habits first. We can also check your child’s posture for any imbalances. For more information, please contact us at (250) 334-2262.