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I came into the clinic with a pain in my back and leg. This pain had limited my ability to stand for long periods of time and was starting to affect my sleep. I had been to every specialist and advised to go and get an operation. Michael thought I should consider some chiropractic treatment before going for the operation. It is now three months on and after ten sessions I am able to stand for much longer without any pain. The leg pain is not there at night. Due to my posture and injury to the lower back Michael has explained that I need some maintenance treatment. I would have no trouble recommending Michael to anybody who is suffering from back or leg pain.

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Tips to stop a heavy school bag from damaging your child’s spine.

Tips to stop a heavy school bag from damaging your child’s spine.

There is an emerging trend for school children to carry their school bags over one shoulder. This is a far from ideal way to carry a bag and can lead to postural problems and discomfort. At the start of the school year there are guidelines you can follow to prevent the heavy school bag affecting your child.

  • Buy a lightweight back pack with adjustable, padded shoulder straps. A bag that does not fit a child correctly will hit the child’s bottom as they walk and can create discomfort and alter their normal gait (walking pattern).
  • The bag should have a waist strap, this helps to distribute the weight of the bag over a greater area. The back of the bag should also be padded to ease the pressure on the back. 
  • When packing the bag, put heavy items close to the back of the bag, this keeps them close to the spine and lessens the load on your child’s back. 
  • The bag should be worn on both shoulders, if this is done, then the weight of the bag is distributed through both sides of the body. If the bag is worn on one shoulder then this can lead to shrugging the shoulder on the side of the strap and tense the shoulder muscles. It also creates side bending away from the side that the bag is sitting. 
  • Children should be encouraged to only carry the bags when they need to, when waiting for a bus or lift, they should try to leave the bag on the ground. 
  • Talk to them about the correct way to put the bag on. By swinging the bag from the ground up onto their shoulders, a lot of tension is being placed on the spine. Lifting the back first onto a desk or chair, then fitting their arms through the straps lessens the pressure put through their bodies. If the bag is heavy maybe they can get help putting it on.

Remember many of these tips are for young children whose strength and bodies are not fully developed. But all of these tips apply to adults also in order to minimise stress on the spine.