October 22, 2008
Back injury from the improper use of a backpack may occur over time. Pay attention to your child’s complaints.
Notice if your child:
- Struggles to get the backpack on or off
- Complains of back or shoulder pain
- Leans forward to carry the backpack
- Complains of back pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms or legs
- Has red marks on their shoulders
There are also several stretches you can do to strengthen muscles both before and after carrying a backpack all day.
If your child complains of back pain or numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, consult your chiropractor or physical therapist.
Dr. Timothy Nelson, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
October 8, 2008
Help them lighten their load by encouraging your child to leave books they don’t need in their lockers. Encourage them to use their lockers throughout the day instead of carrying their entire day’s worth of books in the backpack to all their classes.
You can also teach children to lift their backpack properly to avoid back injuries. As with any heavy weighted object, they should bend at the knees and grab the pack with both hands to lift to their shoulders.
Many backpacks today have several compartments – use all of them to help distribute weight throughout the pack. Teach kids to put heavier items, such as textbooks, close to the center of the pack and closest to their back (the back of the pack). Try to arrange items so they don’t slide around in the pack.
Finally, encourage your child to use both shoulder straps rather than one. Wearing the pack over one shoulder can cause the child to lean to one side, curving the spine and causing pain or discomfort. The leaning can also lead to poor posture.
Dr. Timothy Nelson, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
September 26, 2008
Now that we are well into the school year, many of our kids are coming home with full, heavy backpacks. Some kids will complain about carrying such a heavy load, others accept it as a part of school life. There are several things you can do to ensure your child is safely using their backpack and help prevent long-term injury.
In 2001 more than 7,000 emergency room visits were related to backpacks and book bags. Another study showed that 6 out of 10 student’s ages 9 to 20 reported some back pain related to heavy backpacks.
Traditional backpacks are designed to distribute the weight among some of the body’s strongest muscles, the back and abdominal muscles. However, many of today’s trendy sling packs or using a backpack incorrectly can cause severe muscle and joint damage, which can lead to severe back, neck and shoulder pain as well as poor posture.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents look for these things when choosing a backpack:
- A lightweight pack that doesn’t add a lot of weight to the pack. An example would be using a canvas pack rather than a leather one.
- Ensure that the backpack has two wide, padded shoulder straps.
- A padded back.
- A waist strap.
- Multiple compartments to more evenly distribute weight.
Backpacks should be worn with the straps tightened – enough for the backpack to fit closely to the body and be about 2 inches above the waist. The pack should rest in the curve of the lower back, never more than 4 inches below the waistline. Most chiropractors and physical therapists recommend that kids carry no more than 10% to 15% of their body weight in their backpacks.
Have your kids weigh their backpacks on your bathroom scale and compute the body percentage. For example, if your child weighs 80 pounds, the backpack should be no heavier than 12 pounds. A 150 pound person should have no more than a 23 pound pack.
Dr. Timothy Nelson, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
September 17, 2008
Regular stretching and strengthening are the best ways to prevent piriformis syndrome. This muscle rarely gets stretched, so a simple stretching routine often works wonders.
Stretch before you do any repetitive activity such as golfing, raking leaves, playing tennis, or doing extra chores around the house such as cleaning out the garage. Warm the piriformis muscle up by running in place, stretching the muscle, and getting chiropractic adjustments.
To stretch the right piriformis:
Lay on your back, bend your knees and cross your right leg over your left so that your right ankle rests on your left knee in a figure four position. Bring your left leg towards your chest by bending at the hip. Reach through and grab your left thigh to help pull towards your chest.
Sit on the floor with both legs extended out. Put your right knee over your left leg. Place the left arm over the right leg, twisting torso and pushing the right knee away from the left leg.
Hold both stretches for 30 seconds, repeat five times on the painful side.
If stretching alone doesn’t help, check with your chiropractor or physical therapist.
Dr. Timothy Nelson, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
September 9, 2008
The treatment for piriformis syndrome is to seek chiropractic treatment for the misaligned hip and a physical therapist/massage therapist for trigger point therapy and light stretching.
The self-treatment for piriformis syndrome is to use a golf or tennis ball (a cold one is best) on your butt or hip area. Sit on the floor and put your weight on the golf ball. Move the ball around until the ball is in the place where it hurts the most. If it’s sore and hurts while you’re sitting on the golf ball you’re doing a great job! Toxins tend to accumulate in tight muscles and putting pressure on this area alleviates the toxins, and also breaks up the pain – spasm – pain cycle.
Other tips: Avoid the use of heat, use ice, and take ibuprofen if you need it. Visit your local chiropractor or physical therapist to help break up the pain – spasm – pain cycle.
Dr. Timothy Nelson, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
September 3, 2008
The Piriformis muscle is a small muscle which originates in the base of the spine and inserts into the top of the leg bone (femur). The sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis muscle. If the muscle becomes tight, often from overuse, it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve and cause pain which may radiate down the leg. The piriformis syndrome often mimics sciatica, the difference is the origin of the pain.
Any muscle that is used repetitively needs a chance to recover. Imagine what happens to your piriformis muscle every time you swing a golf club. The repetitive and sudden swinging motion pulls the muscle, which eventually begins to spasm. When the piriformis muscle begins to spasm it will pull the hip bone causing the hip to become misaligned.
Dr. Timothy Nelson, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
August 28, 2008
It may not be Sciatica
Feeling good about yourself because you finally decided to clean out the garage, but you’re so sore the next day you can’t move – particularly in your butt muscle? Many patients see us for emergency treatments this time of year because they did something out of the ordinary, such as: golfing; cleaning out the garage; raking leaves; or camping and sleeping with a rock underneath them. And now they are experiencing pain in the butt.
Many times these patients come in thinking they have sciatica. What they are actually experiencing is called piriformis syndrome. Pronounced pir-
-
f
r-m
s, this common muscle injury can result from repetitive motion and over use of your piriformis muscle. Pain is often felt in the buttocks first, resulting in referred pain into the legs. This is commonly mistaken for sciatica.
Dr. Timothy Nelson, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
August 6, 2008
Doing these two stretches every time you see your Wellness Trigger can stop headaches before they start:
Michael Stofan, MSPT, Physical Therapist
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
July 29, 2008
A careful history and physical exam by a physical therapist that has experience working with headache sufferers can help determine what treatment will be successful. The goals of physical therapy are usually to restore normal range of motion and muscle flexibility and eliminate pain. The physical therapist will also consult with you on posture, alignment and stretching muscles to both strengthen the muscles and help to alleviate future pain.
Visiting a physical therapist for your headache may not be your first thought. However, physical therapy is an essential component of any care plan that addresses headaches or other chronic pain complaints.
Consult your physical therapist for help in understanding the best work posture for you.
Michael Stofan, MSPT, Physical Therapist
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
July 23, 2008
Because of poor posture, sitting in the same position for hours at a time, and doing repetitive tasks such as typing and talking on the phone, many people experience frequent headaches while on the job. Unable to concentrate, frequent headache sufferers are less productive and miss more work than other employees.
The good news is that painful headaches can be avoided by making slight changes to your posture, becoming aware of your working conditions, and stretching.
Our bodies were not meant to sit all day. We are designed to move. This is why it’s important for you to be proactive about caring for your health rather than reactive. Pain is not a warning sign – it’s a signal something is wrong. Moving, stretching, or doing any treatment once you are already experiencing pain is being reactive rather than proactive.
The specialists at Heritage Health recommend you create a “Wellness Trigger” to proactively care for your health. Put something in your workstation that reminds you to stop and stretch. This trigger can be anything – a photo, a bobblehead doll, a neon sticky note. Anything out of the ordinary that will grab your attention and “trigger” you to stretch and change positions throughout the work day.
Michael Stofan, MSPT, Physical Therapist
Heritage Health
www.heritagehealth.net
(303) 694-1245
