As part of the Australian Chiropractors Association’s Back to School campaign, Cranbourne Chiropractic Centre here in Cranbourne North is encouraging Aussie kids to adopt positive spinal health habits.

These habits include:

• Carrying a backpack correctly with both straps, adjusting it to the correct height and ensuring only the essentials are packed, with heavier items to the back of the bag to reduce weight.
• Maintaining good posture when sitting in a classroom by keeping their shoulders back and relaxed with both feet firmly on the floor.
• Trying to reduce recreation screen time to two-hours every day.
• Eating a balanced, healthy diet and staying hydrated, helping kits to keep kids active in the playground and alert in the classroom.
• Getting enough physical activity is key for a child’s wellbeing, so as a guide, kids should try and get at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily.

Let’s help kids practise these positive spinal health habits this back to school season and all year round.

I welcome you to make an appointment for more advice and assistance on implementing these positive health habits into your child’s daily activity.

We are even able to assist with fitting your child’s backpack to suit their current level of development. Contact us at Cranbourne Chiropractic Centre to book your appointment.

For more information on these tips and the Back to School campaign, visit backtoschool.org.au  

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A few simple tips to get you through:

1. Stay active. Break up your study with a bit of exercise. Go for a walk, a quick run or dance around the house (not recommended if studying in the library)

2. Good posture. Maintain good posture to help relieve tension that builds up. A firm seat with good lumbar support or a small cushion. Feet slightly raised off the ground on a small box/platform and your desk slightly angled up towards you.

3. Keep your spine aligned. Keeping your spine and nervous system functioning well is key. A chiropractic adjustment may help sort out some tension you are feeling. A good functioning nervous system may keep you sharp during study and exams.

4. Regular breaks. 40-45 minutes of study is ideal with a 10-15 minute break. It will keep you focused and more efficient with your study.

5. Enjoy!

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Unfortunately they then proceeded to spend the next 20 minutes on their phones or devices looking down playing games etc! We had to leave so I’m not sure how long they were out in this wonderful park playing on their electronic devices. How sad!

Neck pain and poor posture often go hand in hand. With the increased use of electronic devices and screen time people of all ages are getting into static, hunched, forward head positions for long periods of time, resulting in increased muscle tension and tightness in the joints of the neck and upper back. What’s called ‘Tech Neck’ these days.

Part of the problem is that we aren’t getting outside as much as we used to. Kids are stuck inside on their devices and unfortunately looking for adults for inspiration is no good as they are also head down on their devices.

As a chiropractor this is what we are up against. Hours of screen time leading to poor posture, neck pain, headaches, upper back pain etc. Tech neck and even worse ‘Digital Dementia’ where the brain doesn’t think for itself anymore due to sensory overload from too much screen time.

And so even when we get people outside to enjoy the local parks, they stay chained to their phones. For your neck and your kids, go and enjoy our local parks but keep off your phones.

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If you are one of the 50%¹ of Australians that sit at an office desk from 9am – 5pm (or some variation of that) then you are probably guilty of sitting in that same position for most of the day, often unaware of the potential effects of poor posture on your spine.

Between sitting at home on the couch, on the train to work and in the office all day, you could only be left with around one hour to stand, walk and exercise.²

While sitting down for long periods of time cannot be entirely avoided, improving your posture and staying active throughout the day can prove beneficial for your spinal health and overall wellbeing.

Here are a few helpful tips to get in the habit of practicing good posture:

• With spring here and daylight savings, take advantage of the weather by going for a walk during your lunch break or after work.
• Take the stairs instead of the lift up to the office.
• Take little breaks every 30 minutes by walking to the coffee machine or bathroom to keep your body moving.
• Pay attention to the way you sit at work – avoid hunching or slouching at your desk. Sit back in your chair and make sure your back is well-supported by the chair.
• When at your desk distribute your body weight evenly on both hips and keep your feet flat on the floor.
• If you have a height adjustable desk, try alternating frequently between standing and sitting If your workplace does not offer standing desks, it may be a good idea to request one.

Take a moment to assess your office desk. Are there any elements that are putting stress or strain on your body? Keep the mouse and telephone within easy reach so you don’t have to stretch to reach them. Adjust your computer screen so that your neck is in a neutral position and be mindful of your posture while sitting.

It is easy to forget to take a break when we are busy at work. So, set an alarm on your phone to remind you or use the reminders on the Straighten Up app.

Taking these habits home with you will help put them into practice in everyday life and will also ensure that good posture and spinal care is integrated into every aspect of your life.

For more information on maintaining a healthy spine in the work place, check with chiropractor Dr Shaun from Cranbourne Chiropractic.

¹Safe Work Australia 2017, Sitting and Standing, www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sedentary, Web.
²Australian Chiropractors Association, ‘How much time do you spend sitting each day?,’ Sit Right, www.chiropractors.asn.au/sitright, Web.

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Why it Matters:

Driving a car, working on the computer, and using a tablet/phone all usually result in less than ideal posture. And when you start to lean forward, it places a tremendous amount of extra pressure on the discs in your neck and spine. This can cause increased compression and lead to pain. Even just a few inches of forward head posture can double or triple the amount of stress on the spinal joints in your neck.

• The average human head weights approximately 3.6-4.5kg.
• For every 2.5cm of forward head posture, an additional 4.5kg of weight is added to your spine.
• Forward head posture may result in muscle imbalances, a high risk for spinal degeneration, reduced range of motion, and pain.

Next Steps:

Take a moment today at work and notice if your shoulders are rounding, the head has moved forward, and upper back is hunched over. If you see yourself slouching into this posture, let us know. We would love to provide you with some exercises you can do at work to help strengthen the muscles supporting your spine and combat these muscle imbalances. And remember, the more time you spend in this posture, the more likely you are to suffer head and neck pain.

Science Source(s):

The Physiology of the Joints, Volume III. 6th ed. London: Churchill Livingstone; 2007.

Myofascial trigger points, neck mobility and forward head posture in unilateral migraine. Cephalalgia 2006

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