Believe it or not, too much homework can be bad for your health. But don’t worry kids, there are things you can do to ensure that homework is painless! And no, we don’t mean avoiding assignments. Though school is in session for most, it’s never too late to talk about backpack safety. This week’s blog discusses the trouble with heavy backpacks and provides tips to keep in mind when shopping for a backpack. Backpacks, Back Problems According a recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study, more than 75% of students ages 8-12 suffer from increasing back pain inflicted by carrying their schoolwork and supplies in backpacks or similar totes. This is no surprise considering, some of our younger elementary school students are literally carrying one third their body weight for prolonged periods of time and distance. That puts a lot of stress on a body in the midst of development. Student back injuries are now widespread. 96% of the pupils monitored regularly haul much too heavy a pack on their back. Backpack Safety Tips 1. Children should not carry backpacks that exceed more than 10% of their body weight — which translates into a 5 to 10-pound load for elementary Read more…
Back to School “Back” Tips
Children now a days seem to be carrying more in their backpacks than ever before. Overloading and incorrectly carrying backpacks can cause a variety of problems. This can often causes kids to experience back pain due to pore posture. This results in distortion of the spine and putting it out of alignment. Some of the symptoms are muscle strain, headaches, neck, back and arm pain. Back Safety Tips! When shopping for backpacks look for lighter ones made from vinyl or canvas. Make sure that the straps are thick, padded and adjustable along with a hip/waist strap. The backpack should not be too tight around the arms/under the armpits, and that the size is proportionate to your child’s body. When fully packed, backpacks should not weigh more than 5-15% of your child’s body weight (less percent the younger they are/more percent the older they are). The heaviest items in the bag should be the closest ones to the body. Make sure they are only packing what they need for the day. When putting on a backpack, (you may need to help younger children) make sure the pack is on a flat surface at waist height. Make sure that when putting the bag Read more…
Is Sitting too Much Really that Bad? “Sitting is the new smoking!” at least that is what people are saying these days. Sounds a little bit extreme for some, but did you know that sitting can actually cause more than physical dysfunction and can also be systemic? Harvard University recently published an article stating that too much sitting is linked to heart disease, diabetes and premature death. The 2015 Inaugural Active Working Summit presented findings on the increase risk of lung, uterine and colon cancer with longer hours seated. More than half of the average person’s waking hours are spent sitting, watching television, working at a computer or commuting. Studies have also shown that brain function slows when the body is sedentary for too long. This is explained by the decrease in blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Sitting and Weight Gain If one spends a significant amount of time in a sedentary position throughout the day, they may find that weight gain becomes an issue. As the body slows down while in a resting and seated position, our metabolism slowly slows down as well. Calories are burned at a far lower rate when most of the muscles are Read more…
Arthrosis or Arthritis – What’s the Difference?
Arthrosis or Arthritis, these words look alike however they have two different meanings. Many people are not sure what the differences are. Some professionals don’t even bother explaining the difference anymore, resulting in even more confusion. I will try to give some clarity between these two words, so in the future you’ll know how and when to use them. Let’s start by a little bit of etymology (word origins) The word arthritis comes from arthri- (joint) and –tis for inflammation. On the other hand the word arthrosis comes from arthr- (joint) and –osis for abnormal. This doesn’t help explain the difference but sometimes it’s helpful to know where words come from. Two words same meaning Arthrosis is also known as Osteoarthritis. Both words are used interchangeably to describe the exact same condition. To help you remember try thinking of “O” for Arthrosis and Osteoarthritis. So what is the difference Arthritis is not a specific condition; it is actually a regrouping of multiple conditions affecting the joints including arthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout and many others diseases you’ve probably never heard of. Some arthritic disorders can even affect the skin like psoriatic arthritis. So what is the big deal if Read more…
The Impact of a Concussion
In the past decade they has been an increased awareness towards cerebral concussion
Foot Pain? FIght foot pain with Sante Chiropractic
Prevent Lower Back Pain Naturally Ottawa!
Four out of five adults will experience low back pain.
3 Tips for Relieving Neck Pain
Do you suffer from neck pain and stiffness? You’re not alone!