Those last few days of summer are quickly coming to an end and school is about to begin which means that families are gearing up for busy schedules, homework, after school activities and the hectic pace of our second millennium lifestyles. To insure that your child has a healthy and successful year, it will be important for them to have their back aligned and balanced and on track. Here is some information that will help you.
Every activity affects the spine. Contact sports, playing an instrument, sitting down and studying, and paying attention in class are all important for a successful school year and they all require a healthy spine and nerve system. We take for granted that when our child is sitting in class listening to a teacher that they listen through their ears, process the information in their brain, while a signal is sent down through their spine through their fingers so that they can write, add or draw. If a child is playing an instrument, we often hear the instructor or conductor tell them to sit up straight. This requires a healthy spine with good alignment, clear nerve supply and strong muscles.
When we watch our kids participating in sports we often cringe at the intense beating that their spines take when they are hit by another person or twisted through their activities. Keeping their spine aligned and balanced is crucial for them to be able for them to enjoy a healthy and successful year and have a healthy spine for a lifetime.
• Children make 775,000 visits to the emergency room each year because of sports-related injuries. • Every 2 ½ minutes a child is injured on a playground. 150,000 kids are treated in the emergency room for football injuries. Many of these injuries are accompanied by trauma and damage to the child’s developing spine and nerve system.
• More than 40 Million students carry school backpacks. Backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly can injure your child’s back, neck and shoulders, which can lead to other health problems. • Heavy backpacks, playground and sports injuries can cause non-structural or functional scoliosis, an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine that typically appears in early adolescence. This type of scoliosis is not caused by a structural spine abnormality, but develops as a result of misalignment and pressure on the spine and nerve system. Functional scoliosis often can be corrected by addressing the underlying condition.
Millions of other kids injure their spine and remain symptom free until later on in life when the damage becomes more permanent. This can be avoided with regular chiropractic care.
British medical researchers have found through MRI technology that nearly 10% of children show signs of disc degeneration (arthritis) before reaching puberty. Disc degeneration is a condition in which a damaged spinal disc wears down unevenly causing pressure on the nerves which can limit activity levels, stamina, and quality of life as we age. We tend to think of this disc degeneration as a sign that we are getting older but this is not the case. It is a sign that the spine has been injured which can happen at any age.
A simple examination can determine if your child’s spine is on track or off track. Chiropractic care can keep your child’s spine and nerve system healthy and insure your best school year ever.
Passionate for babies and belly bumps, Dr. Diane Meyer is a sought after expert in Chiropractic care amongst Mothers to be and their babies. Mom to four fabulous and holistically raised children, Dr. Diane lives the Chiropractic principle that health comes from the inside out. Dr Diane is the head chiropractor at The WOMB and has been in practice for 20 years.
