wearing your back pack
September is Back Pack Awareness Month at Schuler Chiropractic. I watch kids walking around with their back packs on wrong about 80% of the time. They usually always were them to low. Not wearing your back pack correctly causes back and shoulder problems.
· Heavy backpacks have a destructive impact on the posture and spinal health of children
· Today’s heavy loads are causing injuries that can last a lifetime.
· 55% of students carry more than the recommended national guidelines (Simmons College, April, 2001)
· 66% of school nurses reported seeing students with pain or injury attributed to carrying backpacks
· Up to 60% of children will experience back pain by the time they reach 18 years of age (University of Michigan)
· National Public Radio reported that 65% of adolescents’ visits to doctors are for backpack related injuries (October, 1998)
· The American Academy of Orthopedics stated that backpack injury is a significant problem for children
· Common problems and symptoms are neck pain, upper back pain, mid back pain, lower back pain, vertebral subluxations, arm to finger numbness, shoulder pain, fatigue from heavy loads, and headaches from upper back and neck tension.
· Extreme problems are postural misalignments, abnormal gait, disc herniation, and Osteoarthritis
· Wear a backpack Properly. Distribute the weight properly, wear both shoulder straps, choose a backpack with thickly padded shoulder straps, choose a backpack with a lumbar support and use an ergonomic backpack.
· Lift a backpack correctly by facing the backpack before you lift it, bend at the knees and lift with your legs not with your back, keep the pack close to the body, and carry only what you need. Bring your back pack to the office for analysis.
Feet Problems lead to other problems!!!
If your feet lose any of their arches it leads to anterior rotation of your knee and hips leading to knee and back problems. The best way to find out if you have lost your arches is to get your feet scanned.
Q: When should you get scanned for foot orthotics?
A. Here’s a checklist to see if you should be scanned for orthotics.
Ask yourself these questions:
· Do I have acute symptoms of conditions such as shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fascitis, stress fractures or patello-femoral disorders
· Do I have local symptoms such as corns, calluses, bunions or metatarsalgia
· Do I have a job that involves standing four or more hours per day
· Do I have a leg length inequality— functional or anatomical
· Do I play some type of physical sport (baseball, basketball, tennis, etc.) on a regular basis
· Am I over 40
· Are you under 7 with unilateral foot problems
· Do I complain of ankle pain, knee (especially medial) pain, hip pain, back/neck pain on a regular basis
· Have I previously underwent knee surgery
· Do I not hold adjustments satisfactorily
If you have checked one or more of the boxes on this checklist, you are someone that would benefit from Foot Levelers and should be scanned in our office.
Go to www.schulerchiropractic.com to find out more information.