CHILDREN AND POOR POSTURE: What to Do?

It has been a while since I have had a chance to write in my blog. This topic has been one that I have been wanting to talk about for a while.

I am seeing more and more young kids in our department with hand, elbow and arm issues. This includes tendonitis of the wrist and elbow as well as tingling in their hands. What the common denominator for all of these children is poor posture. Almost every child patient we see sits in front of us, slouching in the chair. We are constantly asking them to sit up straight, while working with them. The sad thing is, they don’t know how to sit up straight. They don’t even know what it is… One of the KEY things we do work on with the parent, is to correct their posture and explain why their misalignment is playing a role in why they are having hand and arm issues.

The human posture has progressively gotten worse over the past 100 years. Good posture was emphasized as being important as this was a sign of elegance, poise, confidence and grace. It also improved people’s physical being. I remember in 3rd grade (1963), my teacher would tap me on the shoulder with that ”LOOK” of “You Need To Sit Up Straight” while I was working at my desk….. and I am not sure WHEN that all stopped, but I know MY children never were encouraged to sit up straight in school. And when electronic technology exploded in the past 30-40 years….. people’s posture got worse and worse. Slouching at the computer, looking down at the phone or tablet, reading slouched on the couch or bed…… there are never ending activities we do now that put our bodies in horrible position. The sad thing is, though, is that most people do not understand the importance of good posture for our general health and happiness. Who teaches us? If you as a parent were never taught about the importance of good posture, then how can you educate your children on this concept?

Standing and sitting up straight and tall not only helps your child appear more confident, but it also helps relieve muscle strain, backaches and neck aches. Developing good posture as the child grows has a long term benefit that will pay off throughout their lifetime. A healthy baby is born with good spinal alignment. If you look at a baby and young toddler sit and walk, they sit and stand nice and straight.

However, toddlers today are being exposed to situations that are challenging this perfect posture. Parents are not paying attention to how their children are interacting, physically, to their environment and objects presented to them. One of my biggest pet peeves these days is to go out to dinner and watch a family with kids on a tablet or phone, in their lap, while waiting for dinner. I even have patients that will bring their toddler to therapy. They will be sitting next to them, looking at their phone or Tablet on their lap. I ask the parent to bring the phone or tablet to the table, prop it up and scoot their child up to the table. I explain to them why their child needs to look at this device with better posture and encourage them to be mindful of this in the future. You can see in these pictures how even very young babies and children are starting extremely young to look DOWN at these devices causing a lot of strain and postural changes on the child’s neck and spine.

When sitting, the child's back should be straight with shoulders back. Buttocks should be all the way back in the chair. This sitting position should allow the child's spine to sit in a natural S position. The top of the back and shoulders will curve forward while the lower back forms a dip. Paying attention to their sitting position can assist in improving the child's posture and, ultimately, decrease backaches and headaches.

When standing, the child's weight should be placed evenly over both hips and feet. The back should be straight with shoulders back and chin up. Head, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles should all fall into one straight line.

Improper posture can lead to increased strain on the muscles, ligaments, joints and bones as well as interfere with nerve and blood flow. As a child is growing, bad posture can lead to abnormal positioning, abnormal growth of the spine and, ultimately cause other physical issues throughout the body, including arthritis later in life. Proper posture helps back muscles relax, reducing fatigue, backaches and other pains. It also aligns the joints and bones in the spine, further reducing the risk of degeneration and arthritis.

Heavy backpacks can cause havoc on a child’s spine. It is important that the child learns to wear and walk with the backpack correctly or get a wheeled backpack as the child gets older.

When a child is playing with toys, drawing or coloring, looking at their electronic devices or reading, the parent should make sure they are set up properly so that they maintain the best posture they can. Avoid having them lying prone on the floor or couch/bed, or bent over while doing the activity as seen in these pictures. Being in a prone position like these pictures for a long period of time places the spine in hyper extension but also the child is leaning on his elbows, where the ulnar nerve sits and can be compressed, causing tingling and numbness in the little finger.

Also, slouching on the couch or in a chair while reading or looking at electronic devices is also very harsh on the spine,.

Parents need to correct their children’s posture, making sure they know what good posture is. They should show them how to sit and stand properly and set an example by correcting their own posture as well. When the child’s posture is poor, the child needs to have a gentle reminder about sitting or standing straight during their activities. Children need to learn to strengthen their core muscles in order to maintain good posture.

With children now at home so much more for home schooling as well as, play and entertainment, it is very important to make sure they are set up properly for all of their activities and learning. Proper desks/chair set up for their computer use, writing, and other electronic use is very important to help the child learn and maintain good posturing. They also need to take frequent breaks from using the computer screens, TV, video games, and other activities, to stretch their muscles. Static laying and sitting also is not good for any muscle.

Bad and good posture for writing/drawing:

Bad

Good

Bad and good posture for at the desk/computer:

This is an idea for a child’s activity and work desk above:

Amazon.com: SIMBR Kids Desk and Chair Set, Height Adjustable Child Desk Ergonomic Student Study Desk and Chair Set with Large Storage Drawer, Bookstand, 55°Tilted Desktop, Metal Hook for Boys Girls: Kitchen & Dining

The key to good posture is to start from a young age , learn and understand the importance of good posture, and carry it throughout adulthood. Unfortunately the present adults never learned it themselves from a young age over the past 40-50 years. So pass this information on to everyone you know that might have children (of all ages), so that their children will have a better chance of having a healthier posture for a lifetime. And be an example for the young people.... improve your posture as well. it will keep you healthier.

Happy Holidays and New Year...