"Dentists have improved the general population's condition of their teeth and dental hygiene by getting children and adults in for general checkups on a regular basis. In the fight against arthritis, back pain and muscular-skeletal injury, regular checkups from your chiorpractor from a young age is the best defense."  Luke Fairbrother D.C.

This article will highlight the problems that school children experience and will give advice on how to address them. The most common problems children suffer from are low back pain, headaches, period pain, growing pains, scoliosis, sports injuries and asthma. If your child suffers from any of these or indeed any other problems get them seen by a chiropractor and help them develop correctly.

Low back pain

Life time prevalence of low back pain in children aged 4 – 20 years of age with initial low back pain episodes occurring most often in the ages 12 – 14 years old. It has also been suggested through research that two out of three adolescent males experience an episode of low back pain in their lifetime and it may be that work-related low back pain may actually be an aggravation of a pre-existing problem from adolescence rather than from unstable or unsuitable work conditions.

Period pain

The medical term for this is dysmenorrhoea and one study found that 48% of 12 year old girls and 79% of 18 year old girls suffered with it. It is thought to be the leading cause of recurrent school absenteeism. As one cause is thought to be related to posture, chiropractic can be very beneficial.

Headaches

Research shows that more females than males suffer form headaches with 4.6% of an Australian population studied experiencing headaches almost all of the time. Three quarters of those found that it interfered with their concentration in class and homework.

Growing pains

"Growing Pains" is a term applied to a condition in which children suffer from muscular pain during their years of fastest growth. About 20-30% of children are actually affected. This term is sometimes mis-used when in fact the child is suffering from a serious condition.

The following characteristics are used to diagnose growing pains: onset between 4-12 years of age, deep aching, cramping pain usually in the thigh or calf at night which is not present in the mornings, it may be on one or both sides and responds to massage and pain killers.

Pain usually outside of the above is quite possibly something more serious. Either way a checkup from your chiropractor or general practitioner would be advised.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a side ways curvature of the spine and when it occurs in the child it can progress rapidly and therefore quick intervention is crucial. There is an increased incidence in females but if it begins before the menstrual cycle starts, there is a chance it can progress quickly.

Sports injuries

The most common adolescent sporting injury is a sprained ankle through playing football.
However, in children and adolescents, the ligaments are often stronger than the bone they attach to. This can lead to a bone injury but in an adult it would cause a ligamentous injury.

Asthma

There is considerable chiropractic research to indicate that chiropractic treatment can help with asthma. This is still an area of constant research but it is worth while talking to your chirorpactor to find out more. The medical treatment of asthma often involves the use of inhalers which are corticosteroid based. This drug if overused can lead to a thinning of bone. There are naturopathic remedies to assist with asthma and it has been shown to respond well to acupuncture.

The most common causes of joint and back pain in school children are: Lack of exercise/ excessive exercise, the weight of their school bags, bad posture, and ill fitted desks, use of a computer / computer games, sport and improper shoes.

Lack of exercise/ excessive exercise

The general finding from various studies is that children involved in competitive sports and those who are sedentary are more prone to getting low back pain while those that participated in moderate activity were protected. The children involved in competitive sports run the risk of getting repetitive strain injuries and also developing increased muscle bulk on one side of the body due to excessive use of certain muscles. Those children who are sedentary are often those who sit and watch a lot of television or play on a computer. The implication of this will be discussed under use of computer.

Weight of schoolbags

School bags are exceptionally heavy for those attending secondary school due to the number of different subjects covered therefore the number of textbooks required and the fact the children often have to move between classes. Not all children have access to lockers which means that books have to be carried with them. Bags carried on one shoulder causes an asymmetry of the body and therefore certain muscles will have to tighten and others lengthen in order to carry the bag.

Bad posture

All aspects of life can include bad posture; lack of exercise, weight of school bags, spending too much time playing computer games or on the computer, incorrect shoes and growth. Those children who grow faster and become taller than their peers may slouch in order to not tower above their friends and this can ultimately lead to bad posture.

Ill fitted desks

Whether this is at school or home ill fitting desks can lead to bad posture. School desks and chairs cannot cater for individual heights of children and, as mentioned earlier, the children often have to move between classes. The desks and chairs are uniform and unable to be altered to the child’s individual needs. The following describes the correct posture for sitting at a desk.

The chair seat pan should be tilted down at the front by 10 degrees.
Legs should be placed 90 degrees to the floor.
The chair should have a low back support.
The desk should be tilted up by 10 degrees
The computer should be in front of the chair and not to one side, with the centre of the screen 15 degrees down from the horizontal eye level.
This should at least be implemented at home but not just for the kids but for everyone in the family who uses the desk. At school obviously this can’t be done but by advising the child to sit upright and not to slouch and not cross their legs would help.

Use of computer games

Any body position requires certain muscles to shorten and others to lengthen. This occurs every time we move. If we were to stay in one position for too long those muscles will eventually stay that particular length. When children play on computer games it quite often requires time. This leads to the above situation with muscles. Children should be encouraged to not spend longer than 30-40 minutes at any one time playing the computer games/ on the computer or even doing homework before having a break by walking around and then returning to the game/homework by reviewing their posture and sitting correctly.

Sport

Those children who play a lot of sport and those who play contact sports such as rugby may be injured either by direct contact or by overuse of certain muscles. If a child is injured it is advisable that they are seen by a chiropractor as problems unresolved can lead to compensations, i.e. walking differently due to sprained ankle leading to low back pain, a rugby tackle causing neck pain and headaches.

Incorrect shoes

Children are conscious of fashion but this can affect their footwear. Girls particularly may wear shoes with a high heel. This causes the calf muscles to shorten and pushes the body forward. To prevent falling over, the girl would have to lean back causing an increase in back curvature which can not only cause low back pain but also pain between the shoulder blades. Shoes should be the correct size. When purchasing new shoes get the child’s feet correctly sized by the shop assistant making sure that they are the correct length as well as width.

Tips on how to help your child

Rucksacks should be worn across both shoulders and the straps adjusted so the bag is held close to the body.

If a locker is available encourage your child to use it and ensure they only take the books and equipment needed for that day.

Check their footwear is fitted corrected and are flat and supportive.

Encourage your child to take regular exercise, i.e. swimming, cycling.

Use of the computer, playing computer games and homework should be blocks of no more than 30-40 minutes. Advice them to have a little walk before returning and again that they sit with their shoulders down and back (not slumped) and their legs are uncrossed.

Use the instructions earlier to set the desk and chair correctly.