Do your kids have Forward Head Posture?
One of the most common issues we see in kids today at The View Chiropractic is Forward Head Posture – especially in school-aged children.
In our age of smartphones, tablets, video games, lack of physical activity, heavy backpacks, and hours spent sitting, our children are becoming increasingly more prone to BAD POSTURE.
It is not just kids but adults are also prone to bad posture. Advancements in the tech industry have created a greater dependence on device use. People are spending more time than ever on technology. Did you know that an average person spends 4 hours on their phone every day? Add watching TV, working on a laptop or desk computer, and gaming, and no wonder there is a posture crisis in 2024.
How is your posture while reading this article right now? Are you looking down at your phone? Sitting at a desk with a hunched back over your computer? Being aware of our posture all day is more important than ever!
Posture Can Predict the Future Health of Your Children
Poor posture usually starts from a young age. As kids become adults, they continue to adopt poor postural habits at work and in everyday life that eventually lead to spinal abnormalities. Bad posture has a significant impact on general health. The cosmetic aspects of bad posture are a secondary concern. What happens on the inside is what matters. Posture is directly linked to every aspect of function and healing.
When the spine is misaligned due to poor posture and forward flexion of the neck, kids (and adults, too) can become more susceptible to headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, dizziness, pinched nerves, and lower back pain, to name a few. It is better to find out as early as possible if the bone structure is out of alignment than to face the consequences later on as an adult. Awareness of posture is number 1, especially in children who don’t have back and neck pain yet; however, the minor abnormalities of the spine wreak havoc on their health.
Ideally, the head should sit directly on the neck and shoulders like a golf ball on a tee. The weight of the head is more like a bowling ball than a golf ball, so holding it forward, out of alignment, puts a considerable strain on your neck and upper back muscles.
Look at the picture below. The relative weight of your head is increasing with every inch that your head sits forward of your shoulders. When spinal tissues are subject to a significant load for a sustained period, they deform and undergo remodeling changes that could become permanent. This is why it takes time to correct spinal misalignment, such as forward head posture.
What can you do if your child has a bad posture?
The first step is to get your kids’ spines checked
by a chiropractor to identify the exact measurements of the spinal misalignment. Ideally, find a chiropractor who has extra training in pediatrics.
Once that is established, a specific corrective care program is provided, which includes chiropractic adjustments and at-home exercises.
Dr. John, at The View Chiropractic in Central Park, Denver, is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and has two decades of experience in spinal correction. Dr. Steffens will identify the culprits of poor ergonomics and habits, and he will provide you with practical solutions to correct them.
We see tremendous amounts of healing in kids, with conditions and illnesses disappearing after correcting the spine.
You can also fight bad posture with movement. As mentioned in the beginning, lack of physical activity is one of the culprits of bad posture. Constant use of digital devices creates spinal abnormalities. Technology will not go away; if anything, we will rely more on technology as the years go by. It is smart to do something about your kids’ spinal hygiene and posture NOW instead of waiting for the inevitable. Urge your children to get up and move frequently. Go for quick walks, take a playground break, play sports, and dance around. It doesn’t really matter what it is you do as long as you and your kids are not hunched over a device.
If you prefer to seek advice and get your child’s spine checked, you can make an appointment with Dr. John at 303-377-6137 or use the convenient online booking below.
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