Turns Out Mom Was Right!
As children we all heard the familiar sound of our mother’s voice telling us to “Stand up straight! Stop slouching!”
It turns out that mom’s advice was more than just nagging. Our posture, especially when we are children can have life long implications on our health. The spine is home to the nervous system which controls and maintains every function of our body from breathing to fighting disease. If our spine becomes injured or misaligned it cannot work normally and we may begin to experience symptoms ranging from back pain to headaches.
As a twig is bent, so grows the tree.
When we think of chiropractic we don’t usually think of children. We think of back problems as an ailment of the old, however due to the many falls and injuries sustained by children in their daily activities, their vertebrae may begin to curve or twist (scoliosis).
This compression or squeezing of the spinal nerves by the misaligned vertebrae can result in symptoms of recurring headaches, fatigue, frequent illness, earaches, even slow physical development. As well these small childhood injuries can go undetected for years and lead to greater problems as an adult such as degenerative disc disease and arthritis.
“If you slouch you’ll stay like that forever”
Poor posture, slouching, sports injuries and heavy backpacks are some of the main culprits of back problems in children. More than 75 percent of children report back pain before the age of ten. Check that your child’s backpack is not too heavy for them and that they are wearing them correctly. Have their spines checked regularly, especially after any fall or injury. Children have great success with chiropractic care because problems in their spines have not had the chance to “settle in” like in most adults. Correcting problems are easier the earlier they are caught. Chiropractors are highly trained to care for children and use gentle adjustments to correct spinal problems. By instilling healthy habits at a young age, our children will grow up understanding the importance of regular chiropractic care, thus reducing the risk factors for spinal problems later in life.
The best solution is prevention, or early correction. Call your chiropractor to have your spine checked right away!