This post is presented by East Coast Chiropractic 

There is a silent plague striking children today. This issue is affecting more and more children, even ones who look otherwise healthy. It’s become so common you may not even recognize the signs when it’s present.

The problem is Poor Posture.

Let’s start by pointing out that posture is a BIG DEAL. The structure of the human spine has a specific shape, contour and angles that are required for it to function properly. If external stressors cause the structure of the spine to alter, this negatively affects the delicate spinal cord and nerves protected within it.

The most common external stressors that are causing poor posture are:

• too many hours spent hunched over desks at school
• too many hours spent hunched over a video game controller, tablet, computer, or smart phone.
• not enough hours spent moving the body through full ranges of motion

These habits wreak havoc on the spine and the brain. An increase in forward head posture by only 2.5 cm increases the effective weight of the head on the neck by 6.5-10 lbs. This is over a 100% increase in the weight bearing stress on the spine. This can lead to spinal pain, headaches, muscle tension, impaired athletic performance, poor breathing, digestive issues, low energy, difficulty concentrating, lower self-esteem and reduced overall well being. Wow!

Children across the globe are sitting for an average of 8.5 hours per day. What many people don’t know is that the negative health risks associated with prolonged sitting are NOT negated by exercise. So, even if your child participates in gym class or has some type of sport they are engaged in a few times per week, this does not absolve them of the risks of sitting too much.

A study done on girls aged 9-12 found that after only 3 hours of prolonged sitting there was a profound reduction in vascular function by as much as 33%. For perspective, a sustained 1% decline in vascular function has been shown to increase cardiovascular disease risk by 13%! Here’s an important point: the same group of girls returned for the study but this time, spent 10 minutes on a stationary bike in between each hour of sitting. This time, no decline in vascular function was found.

As mentioned above, the overuse of technology is a huge culprit when it comes to poor posture. Too much screen time can also lead to:

• poor eyesight
• sleep problems
• social skills suffering
• weight gain
• delayed cognitive development
• reduced focus and concentration
• impaired communication skills
• reduced vocabulary

Most adults spend lots of time hunching over a laptop, mobile phone or iPad. Our kids are always watching us, they look up to us, they want to be like us, so they will copy everything we do. Keep this in mind.

The time between birth and age 3 is considered a “critical period” for brain development. What happens during these first three years lays the permanent foundation upon which all later brain function is built. During this time, children need stimuli from the outside environment which cannot be found on screens.

Here are some quick tips to help improve your child’s posture and overall health:

1. Break up screen time into half hour chunks. After half an hour the spinal support muscles start to fatigue and turn off resulting in slumping and slouching. As mentioned above, vascular function starts to decline as well. By getting up and moving around a minimum of every 30 minutes you can prevent some of the damaging effects of prolonged sitting at a computer or in front of the television.
2. If your child is working on a desktop or laptop computer, set up a standing desk for them. The human body is NOT designed for long periods of sitting. Since you can’t control their time spent sitting at school, take control over how much they are sitting at home.
3. Get your kids involved in understanding the effects of poor posture on their health. Teach them that slouching and screen time affects their brain, breathing, digestion, and confidence. Kids like to know the reason why they should or shouldn’t do something, rather than just being told what to do.
4. Teach your kids stretches to minimize the affects of postural stress. It can be fun to do exercises together with them. Stretching is good, but it’s not enough. Get your kids MOVING their bodies as much and as often as possible. Kids need active play time, outdoor play time and social interaction to develop optimally.
5. If your child has any signs of poor posture this indicates that their spine and brain are not working as well as they should be. CLICK HERE to watch a short youtube video and find out the 3 main things to look for in your child’s posture. A thorough Chiropractic examination will determine the extent of the problem and how it’s affecting your child’s health and adaptability.
6. Avoiding screen time entirely before the age of 2 is HIGHLY recommended by health care professionals. Technology does have it’s benefits, so after the age of 2 limit screen time to an hour a day if possible. Encourage your child to take breaks periodically by looking away from the screen to a spot in the distance and taking 5 deep breaths, then blinking 20 times before looking back to the screen.