Osteoporosis is a disease that causes your spine, hip, and wrist to be more susceptible to fractures and breaks. It develops when decreased bone density makes bones weaker and more fragile. So fragile, in fact, that a break can occur from an event as innocent as a bump. It is estimated that 50% of women and one in five men over 50 years old will have a fracture or broken bone from osteoporosis in their lifetime— and they should not be taken lightly.

They are extremely painful and can land you in the hospital looking at major surgery, which may take months to recover from. Worse yet, complications from osteoporotic breaks can be debilitating and life threatening.  Bone deterioration occurs so gradually that most people are unaware of their fragility until a fracture or break occurs. By then, the disease is already in an advanced state.

Osteoporosis is a “silent disease” because typically you do not have symptoms until the later stages. As the disease progresses, you may develop symptoms related to weakened bones, including:

• Back pain
• Loss of height and stooped posture
• A curved backbone (dowager’s hump)
• Fractures that may occur with a minor injury, especially of the hip, spine, or wrist
• Neck pain due to fractures of the spinal bones

But how do you know whether you’ll develop osteoporosis?

The most common risk factor is age. Both men and women over the age of 60 are at risk for osteoporosis, but women are at higher risk earlier in life than men are. This is mainly because once women go through menopause, their estrogen levels drop–and estrogen is a hormone that protects against bone loss.

Osteoporotic or fragility fractures are extremely common (8), more common than heart Attack (9), stroke (9) and breast cancer (10) combined. At least one in three women and one in five men will suffer from an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime (11).

You are also at higher risk for developing osteoporosis if you have family members who have the disease, are taking corticosteroid medications over a long period of time, or you have rheumatoid arthritis, a vitamin D deficiency, an eating disorder, or a low body mass index.

Smoking tobacco and drinking excessively can also put you at risk for osteoporosis.

There is no way to say whether or not you will develop osteoporosis but this doesn’t mean that the only recourse is to hope for the best. It is never too late to take action against bone loss and make your future as fracture-free as possible.

How Is Osteoporosis Treated?

The process of bone thinning is a natural part of aging. But osteoporosis is a serious disease, not just a normal part of aging.

However, you can slow or delay osteoporosis with healthy lifestyle habits, such as not smoking, getting enough calcium and vitamin D, and getting regular exercise, which helps build and strengthen your bones.

Chiropractors take a very different approach than that taken by medical doctors. We try to persuade people that preventing disease from happening is remarkably more beneficial than treating it after it occurs. You will feel better, you will have more energy and you will increase your quality of life by optimizing the health of your body.

You’re never too young or too old to improve the health of your bones. Osteoporosis prevention should begin in childhood. But it shouldn’t stop there. Whatever your age, the habits you adopt now can affect your bone health for the rest of your life. Now is the time to take action.

People suffering from this silent disease can benefit greatly through Chiropractic Treatment of Osteoporosis.

How Can Your Chiropractor Help?

Chiropractors, by the nature of their work, can detect the earliest degenerative changes in the joints. They see the impact of degenerative changes in the spine, as well as in the hips, knees, and other weight-bearing joints. Chiropractors are also trained to relieve the pain and improve joint function through natural therapies, such as chiropractic manipulation, trigger-point therapy, or some massage techniques.

Chiropractors can provide exercise counseling, helping you choose exercises that are best for you. If a sore or swollen joint prevents you from exercising, talk to your St Paul MN Chiropractor about other drug-free pain-relief options. In addition, your chiropractor can help you choose proper supplements that play important roles in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Chronic pain is a devastating health problem that affects at least 116 million American adults–more than the total affected by heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined. It costs the nation up to $635 billion each year in medical treatment and lost productivity. Chronic pain affects people of all ages, races, and occupations and without treatment, pain can have a significant impact on the pain sufferer and their entire family.

For every person seeking relief from chronic pain, others are inevitably affected: husbands and wives, parents and children, friends, employers and co-workers. Chronic pain can interfere with every aspect of a person’s life: work, relationships, self-esteem, and emotional well-being.

The Burden Of Pain

Chronic pain brings a burden of depression, anxiety, frustration, fatigue, isolation, and lowered self-esteem. Pain makes it hard to work, hard to play, hard to get support from others, and hard to live a happy life. Chronic pain can literally shatter productive lives.

Pain is the most common reason why people come to a chiropractor. Whether it’s intense throbbing from a migraine headache, fibromyalgia disorder, or constantly aching joints from arthritis, we all want the pain to go away — and fast!  Sometimes pain is a temporary condition that will go away on its own (like after a minor injury or after surgery). But sometimes the pain is an indicator of something more serious, and it won’t get better until it’s treated. It is important that you get it diagnosed correctly.

A chiropractor will advise you on available treatment options for pain management because it is important that you receive all the information you need about potential treatments. Psychotherapy, relaxation, massage therapy, acupuncture, laser therapy, biofeedback, and behavior modification may be used to treat chronic pain.

Pain is a uniquely individual and subjective experience that depends on a variety of biological, psychological, and social factors, and different population groups experience pain differently. Because pain varies from person to person, your chiropractor can readily identify one dysfunction or injury from another to tailor your treatments to you.

Heel and arch pain is usually the result of faulty biomechanics (walking gait abnormalities) that place too much stress on the heel bone and the soft tissues that attach to it. This increased stress causes local inflammation and pain.  The most common cause of heel and arch pain is a condition called plantar fasciitis. This is an inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs along the arch of your feet from your heel to your toes, and aids in stabilization of your arch during walking and running.

Foot, Heal and Arch Pain

Plantar Fasciitis is a painful condition resulting in pain under the heel. It is often caused by overuse of the plantar fascia or arch tendon of the foot. It is a very common condition and can be difficult to treat if not looked after properly.

Symptoms involve two areas — the arch, and more commonly, the bottom inside heel area.

Severe pain can be present, especially in the morning on arising. Common symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:

• Pain in the morning when you first get out of bed
• Pain and stiffness when you start to walk after sitting for a while
• Increasing pain in your heel or arch towards the end of the day
• Tired feet at the end of the day

Sports and Heel Pain

Sports activities are an exciting and healthy part of life. Participating in sports that include jarring starts and stops, or sports performed on uneven surfaces can quickly lead to heel pain. There are several steps you can take to help relieve many types of heel pain, as well as prevent the condition before it starts.

The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) in cooperation with the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM) offer five sports most likely to contribute to heel pain and steps you can take to prevent it from occurring.

The chart below outlines several popular sporting activities and tips to avoid heel pain during each:

Custom Orthotics

While many Americans take their feet for granted, always focusing in on your foot health can ensure that you never lose a step to heel pain.  Remember, if detected early, chances are high that your heel pain can be treated successfully.

In more difficult cases of plantar fasciitis you may have a custom orthotic prescribed for you. Research indicates in cases of mechanically induced heel and arch pain which does not initially respond to treatment, the most effective treatment is custom made orthotics.

Custom foot orthotics are precision balanced medical devices worn in your shoes to allow the feet and lower extremities to function properly and help eliminate pain and deformity caused by improper function. They are specifically designed to fit your feet and act to restore the normal biomechanical function of the lower extremities.

Custom orthotic devices have the greatest chance of reducing the tension in your plantar fascia, reducing your pain, and helping you avoid surgery.

While heel pain may be common, remember… foot pain of any kind is never considered normal.

If you experience any discomfort in your heels or other areas of the foot or lower leg, Caron Chiropractic can help!

Sources: American Podiatric Medical Association/American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine

Foot pain is not normal and should not be ignored. It can lead to complex problems that can affect the functioning of other parts of the body. Foot pain, knee pain, lower back pain and even neck pain can be directly related to the way your foot hits the ground when you walk. The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis.

Foot, Heal and Arch Pain

Plantar Faciitis is a common aliment that results in a stabbing pain at the bottom of the heel. It is the result of the stretching of the Plantar Fascia ligament that connects the bottom (plantar) surface of the forefoot to the heel. Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. Most people feel the pain of plantar fascitis after awakening, however long periods of standing or sitting, then walking can trigger the pain.

Plantar-Fasciitis

The primary cause of heel pain, plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the tissue band (fascia) connecting the heel bone to the base of the toes. This pain is generally centered under the heel, and can be caused by (but not limited to) activities that include:

• Wearing improper footwear
• Excessive weight
• Walking barefoot and/or walking barefoot on hard surfaces
• An increase in exercise
• Abnormal foot biomechanics (excessive pronation or supination)

Any of these factors, in combination with how your feet function mechanically, can cause plantar fasciitis.

While many heel pain sufferers often assume their heel pain is caused by a heel spur on the heel bone (commonly referred to as “heel spur syndrome”), heel spurs have been proven to not be the cause of heel pain.

The pain is usually in the front and bottom of the heel, but the definition of “plantar fasciitis” indicates it can be over any portion of the bottom of the foot where the fascia is located. Patients often report that the pain “moves around.” The pain can be mild or debilitating. It can last a few months, become permanent, or come and go every few months or years for the rest of a patient’s life with no obvious explanation. Every year, about 1% of the population seeks medical help for this condition.

Custom Orthotics

Foot-related problems are often treated very successfully with custom made orthotic inserts that you put right in your shoe like an insole.

Orthotics are prescribed to:

• Reduce pain
• Provide support
• Prevent or slow down the development of a foot deformity
• Provide better positioning of the foot, knee and hips
• Improve the overall biomechanical function of the body
• Shock absorption

It’s not normal for your feet to hurt. If you are experiencing achy, painful or tired feet, call today for an evaluation!

Orthotics allows the muscles, tendons and bones of the feet and lower legs to function at their highest potential. When appropriately fitted, orthotics can decrease pain, not only in the foot, but in other parts of the body such as the knee, hip and lower back. By eliminating the need for one’s muscles to compensate for imbalances, orthotics can reduce fatigue and promote efficient muscle function to enhance performance.

Custom orthotic devices have the greatest chance of reducing the tension in your plantar fascia, reducing your pain, and helping you avoid surgery. They can also increase stability in an unstable joint and prevent an early foot deformity from developing additional problems.

Does one (or even both) of your heels hurt?  If so, you aren’t alone. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain in today’s population. A study by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) has found that nearly 40 percent of all Americans have suffered from heel pain at some point in their lives.

So what causes heel pain? What are the ways to fix this problem that can drastically impact your life?  Can heel pain be prevented entirely?

Determining the cause of heel pain is not always an easy answer, but early treatment is vital. Educating yourself about the main causes of heel pain, as well as the best ways that you can treat and prevent this common foot condition, will help keep your feet healthy and pain-free.

What Is Causing My Heel Pain?

What are some common causes of heel pain?

Heel and arch pain is usually the result of faulty biomechanics (walking gait abnormalities) that place too much stress on the heel bone and the soft tissues that attach to it. This increased stress causes local inflammation and pain.

The most common cause of this increased stress is a condition known as “over-pronation”, which means that your feet roll inward too much when you walk.

As they roll inward the arch of the foot flattens and the arch lengthens. When the arch lengthens there is increased tension on the plantar fascia.

Excessive pronation can create an abnormal amount of stretching and pulling on the ligaments and tendons that attach to the bottom back of the heel bone. It can also contribute to problems of the hip, knee and lower back.

It is often characterized by pain on the bottom of the heel when you take your first steps in the morning, but can also last all day long—with pain often progressing the longer the condition remains untreated. Other common causes of heel pain include tendinitis, stress fractures, neuritis, bursitis, tarsal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, and fat pad thinning.

Plantar fasciitis can be caused by a number of factors, including weight gain, worn-out shoes, walking barefoot, increasing exercise, and walking on hard surfaces without proper support. Any of these factors, in combination with how your feet function mechanically, can cause plantar fasciitis.

Chiropractic and Plantar Fasciitis

There are several ways chiropractors treat plantar fasciitis. Chiropractic adjustments along with custom foot orthotics are some of the most effective and immediate ways to relieve complications from an irregular gait. Orthotics are custom made devices that you put right in your shoe like an insole to help correct, or minimize the impact of, any irregularities in your gait that may be the source of your discomfort.

Minnesota has no shortage of bad weather. Unfortunately, bad weather means an increase in automobile accidents.  If you have been involved in a car accident, any injuries need to be taken very seriously.

Soft tissue injuries are injuries to the connective tissues surrounding the spine – the muscles, tendons and ligaments.  In an accident, these soft tissues can be stretched and torn, causing symptoms that can be as minor as a simple sprain that clears up in a day or two, or a permanent injury.

In most neck, back and spinal cord injury cases, the injury occurs because of rapid change in speed of the head and torso in an auto accident. These change-in-speed cases are called acceleration/deceleration injuries.  This is why many people refer to neck and back injuries as “whiplash” injuries.

Because symptoms of a whiplash injury can take weeks or months to manifest, it is easy to be fooled into thinking that you are not as injured as you really are.

If you have been involved in a car accident or any other kind of accident, don’t assume that you escaped injury if you are not currently in pain. Too often people don’t seek treatment following a car accident because they don’t feel hurt.  Unfortunately, by the time more serious complications develop, some of the damage from the injury may have become permanent.

Numerous studies have shown that years after whiplash victims settle their insurance claims, roughly half of them state that they still suffer with symptoms from their injuries.

Possible Symptoms After Auto Accidents:

Get The Facts!

Minnesota people that are injured in a car accident are protected by what’s called Minnesota no-fault insurance. This means that anyone injured in a car accident can get the treatment that they need with absolutely no cost out of their pocket.  It doesn’t matter if you were the driver or passenger.  It doesn’t even matter if the accident was your fault or not.

• You can see any chiropractor without a referral.

• It is illegal for your insurance company to raise your rates if someone hits you.

• If you are injured in a car accident, your Minnesota auto insurance pays up to $20,000 in medical expenses.

• If the other drive is uninsured you still have medical coverage.

• If you are injured in a car accident in Minnesota you are able to see any doctor, anytime up to 12 months from the date of the accident with no cost to YOU!

• The pain caused by an accident may not show up for days and even weeks after the accident.

• If you are injured the insurance company may even owe you money from missed work, pain and suffering and mileage to and from appointments.

• About 3 million car accidents victims are inflicted with whiplash and 1/3 of these result in chronic pain.

• 93% of people suffering from whiplash improve with chiropractic treatments.

• Whiplash injuries may take 5-6 months to stabilize.

• Just like a broken nose, if your spine heals wrong it will never be the same.

• About 75% of injuries form car accidents occur at speeds below 12mph.

• There is no relationship between car damage and a person’s pain.  Pain can be present without car damage.

• Improper healing can lead to arthritis and chronic pain.

You need a doctor who specializes in the treatment for whiplash and other auto accident injuries.  Even if you are just sore, you should get checked out immediately because you may experience serious health problems many months down the road.

Stress is the body’s reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response. Stress can be created from both negative and positive situations. If not taken seriously, stress (whether it is from positive or negative stressors) can have a very negative reaction to our physical well-being. In the short term stress can cause such symptoms as insomnia, headaches, backaches, tension in muscles, and irritability.

Massage Therapy and Stress

Areas of the body affected by stress

If it continues, stress can cause ulcers, heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, even hair loss.

Although we cannot totally rid ourselves of stress, there are several ways we can effectively deal with it. It would be nice to just avoid what stresses you, but that is not always possible. A simple response to stress is to change your reactions to stress and find ways to let go of some of your stress.

One way to handle stress is to practice positive self talk. Going into an already stressful situation with negative thoughts only compounds the issue. However, if you go into the situation seeing the bright side of things you find it wasn’t nearly as bad as you thought.

Another way to handle stress is to take time to let yourself unwind. Thirty minutes to an hour a day is best. A few good ideas for this would be meditation, take a hot bath, or go for a walk. Some days, no matter how hard you try, you just don’t have time. On those days take short five or ten minute breaks throughout the day. Give yourself time to step away and clear your head.

Finally, the best way to take care of stress is to take care of yourself. Eat a well balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get a massage on a regular basis to help maintain your body’s natural de-stressors.

Massage Therapy

Massage is generally considered part of complementary and alternative medicine. It’s increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations. Clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after receiving a massage. The emotional balance massage therapy provides can often be just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits.

Benefits of Massage

• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
• Ease medication dependence.
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts or sports injuries.
• Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
• Increase joint flexibility.
• Lessen depression and anxiety.
• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
• Reduce post surgery adhesions and swelling.
• Reduce spasms and cramping.
• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
• Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.
• Relieve migraine pain.

Research has shown the enormous benefits of touch, which ranges from treating chronic diseases, neurological disorders, and injuries, to alleviate the tensions of today’s lifestyles. As a result, the medical communities and insurance companies are embracing message therapy as part of an integrated part of your overall needs. Many hospitals are also incorporating massage therapists to treat post surgery or pain patients as part of the recovery process.

The American College of Physicians and American Pain Society guidelines for treatment of lower back pain recommends that patients and doctors consider other options with proven benefits, such as spinal manipulation or massage therapy.

And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less therapeutic. Consider massage therapy a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.

Whiplash occurs when the soft tissue in the spine is stretched and strained after the body is thrown in a sudden, forceful jerk. The injury most commonly occurs in car crashes involving sudden deceleration, but the injury can also occur in other strenuous physical activities.  Because each individual case of whiplash is different, it is not possible to generalize about the chiropractic whiplash treatment.

The appropriate chiropractic treatment is unique to each whiplash injury and is directed at the primary dysfunctions detected during the chiropractic exam.

A few people develop continuing symptoms after a whiplash trauma and develop what is known as whiplash syndrome.

Most auto injury pain originates in the spine, and that’s why chiropractic can be beneficial: we get to the underlying trauma that you experienced and help your body heal.

Neck Pain and Whiplash

Chiropractors are specialists in treating non-surgical spine injuries and commonly treat whiplash injuries from car accidents. The job of the chiropractor in helping his or her patients overcome the pain and disability associated with whiplash is to:

• Diagnose the source of the pain
• Treat the most important dysfunctions
• Teach the patient to return to a more normal lifestyle

The process of rehabilitation requires a concerted effort between the chiropractor, the patient and any other professional assisting in the case. The likelihood of success is enhanced by a continued focus on restoring normal function.

Chiropractic Research

Medical research has consistently proven that Chiropractic Treatment for Chronic Whiplash injuries is superior to traditional non-chiropractic care. ie. medication, rest, physical therapy. In the study summarized below from the Medical Journal, “Injury“, 93% of the chronic whiplash patients reported improvement in their symptoms with Chiropractic care!  That is significant!

The “whiplash” syndrome is a collection of symptoms produced as a result of soft-tissue injury of the cervical spine. The accumulated literature suggests that 43 percent of patients will suffer long-term symptoms following whiplash injury. If patients are still symptomatic after three months then there is almost a 90 percent chance that they will remain so. No conventional treatment has proven to be effective in these established chronic cases.

Twenty-eight patients with chronic whiplash pain were referred to the chiropractic physician an average 15.5 months (range: 3-44) after the accident, and were interviewed before treatment by both an independent chiropractor and orthopedic physician. The patients were assigned to one of four classification groups: A – No symptoms; B – Symptoms are a nuisance; C – Symptoms are intrusive; and D – Symptoms are disabling.

The initial evaluation placed 27 of the 28 patients in groups C or D. Following treatment, 26 (93%) of the patients had improved – 16 by one symptom group and 10 by two symptom groups. This improvement was independent of whether it was assessed by an orthopedic surgeon or a chiropractor.

Woodward MN, Cook JCH, Gargan MF, Bannister GC. Chiropractic treatment of chronic whiplash injuries. Injury: International Journal of the Care of the Injured 1996; 27(9):643-645

The patients were assigned to one of four classification groups: A – No symptoms; B – Symptoms are a nuisance; C – Symptoms are intrusive; and D – Symptoms are disabling.

Chiropractic_The Only Proven Effective Treatment For Whiplash

Have you been in a car crash? Are you experiencing chronic pain because of your injury?  You don’t need to suffer.  Getting the proper treatment early after your crash can be very important in recovering quickly. Learn how chiropractic can help you recover from auto injuries.

Although you may feel fine, you may have received a serious injury called whiplash… a painful and very deceiving injury.  Whiplash damage occurs when your neck is stretched back and forth beyond its natural range of motion. The neck is especially vulnerable to this type of injury because of its ability to move in so many directions.

There you are, driving your vehicle– then CRASH!  With the startling event of being rear-ended you make a quick personal assessment, you seem fine… but are you?

What’s interesting is that your vehicle didn’t even have to be moving very fast, as whiplash can, and does occur at speeds as low as 5 mph. There may or may not be initial pain brought on by the accident.  However, it is not uncommon for symptoms to develop over several hours, weeks, or even months. Therein lies the deception of a whiplash injury.

Whiplash and Neck Pain

Your neck contains several muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and nerve endings. Whiplash can injure one, two, or all these vulnerable component parts.  Although whiplash is most frequently the result of a rear-end collision, whiplash can occur in several other situations like sporting activities such as football, gymnastics and many contact sports.

The neck may not be the only affected area as whiplash can often extend into other areas such as the upper back, shoulders and arms.  Most likely, a whiplash victim will suffer from headaches, numbness and tingling sensations, spasms and stiffness of muscles.

Recover From Whiplash With Chiropractic Care

Even if you don’t have any obvious or immediate symptoms after an auto accident, I would recommend that you visit a chiropractor who specializes in auto injury recovery as soon as possible.  Only then can an assessment of the severity and recovery of whiplash injury be made.Your chiropractor will conduct an initial exam to assess the extent of injury which may include x-rays.  If the injury is determined whiplash related, a Chiropractor can initiate a number of treatments to restore strength, function and mobility to the affected areas.

Chiropractic Care For Whiplash And Neck Pain

Your Chiropractor will be able to employ a treatment plan that will not only help relieve pain and restore strength to injured areas but can also show you how to perform exercises and stretches to aid in the healing process.

Fortunately, with time, the majority of people with whiplash injury fully recover… many within a few weeks.  However, some patients may have symptoms for longer periods.  Your age, sex, and present physical condition can have a major effect on the severity and length of symptoms.

The good news is that research has shown that chiropractic has been a very effective approach to healing whiplash.  When you visit our St Paul MN Chiropractor office, our first goal is to relieve pain and symptoms. But our ultimate goal is to restore health.

Whether you have been in a serious auto accident, suffer from headaches, back pain, joint pain, arthritis, or just want to adapt a healthier lifestyle, chances a St Paul Minnesota chiropractor can help.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons conducted a survey of which 58% of the responding orthopedist reported seeing pediatric patients with back pain or shoulder pain caused by lifting or carrying heavy backpacks.

Even the best pack is useless if your child doesn’t use the pack correctly.  It is important to stress from an early age the need to wear and lift backpacks properly.

Lighten Up Your Backpack!

Teach your children to follow the following guidelines:

Guidelines for backpack use from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

-          Don’t let your backpack’s weight exceed 20% of your body weight (LESS FOR CHILD GENERAL RULE 15%) ***

-          Use a hip strap for heavier weights

-          Use a backpack with wide, padded straps and a padded back

-          Use both of the backpack’s straps, firmly tightened, to hold pack two inches above your waist.

-          Engage in exercises to condition you back muscles.

-          Use correct lifting techniques: Bend with both legs when picking up a back pack, lift with your legs

-          Place the heaviest items closest to your back

-          Pack you pack neatly and try to keep items in place

-          Try to make frequent trips to your locker, between classes, to replace books.

-          Consider purchasing a backpack with wheels.

-          Purchase a second set of books for home.

***If a child is overweight, % of weight will need to be decreased accordingly

Source: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Orthopedics Update Press Conference: October 1999.

Although some back pain in school aged students can be attributed to heavy packs, it is not the only cause.  Poor posture while sitting in class, watching TV, driving, or playing video games can result in muscle imbalances, ligament weakness, and pain.  It is important to get your children off the couch, outside of the house, and active.  Remember that minor aches and pains can be considered normal for active school aged children but back pain that is severe, constant, long lasting, present only at night, or the result of trauma can be a sign of injury or illness and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider.

So, should we hold kids back from being kids?  Absolutely not!  Playing and exercising is part of growing up and is crucial to physical development. Running, climbing, grasping, bending, skipping, stretching, throwing, and tumbling are all ways for the anatomy to strengthen skeletal musculature function.  But, excessive incorrect stress will surely lead to an unhealthy adult body.

The size of the backpack should NOT be greater than the back of the child. Ugh!  You’ve got to shop around.

Lighten-Up-Your-Backpack