Over the next few weeks we are going to talk about one of my favorite topics which is pediatrics.

Since it is officially springtime, we are going to learn about the many benefits of pediatric play.
Pediatric play is the best way to prevent 2 things; exercise deficit and nature deficit.

A lot of children these days do not get enough exercise or time in nature both of which can be very therapeutic for them.

At canfit, we recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day.
Exercise should be playful and fun and with other kids.

Some of the benefits are skill acquisition, stress relief and development of social skills.

Exercise also aids in the maturation and development of the spine and posture system as humans were designed to be upright and active.

We were not designed to be sitting and slumped over a computer, cell phone or video game.
Regarding greenspace time (time in nature), our research at the American Posture Institute shows this should peak between 200 and 300 minutes every week.

With many kids, there is a huge imbalance between screen time and greenspace time.

Greenspace time has been shown to benefit mental, emotional and behavioral health.

Thus, this is especially important for kids who have ADD, ADHD or autism.

So parents, please make it a priority to make time to let the children play.

With an ipad we take 2 pictures of you in the upright/standing position; one from the side and one from the front.

We then add in your height and weight and the software will provide me with a detailed analysis of all 4 posture quadrants.

What are they?

Posture quadrant 1 …. your head and neck. The most important posture quadrant.
Posture quadrant 2 …. your thoracic spine, ribcage, shoulders and arms.
Posture quadrant 3 …. your lumbar spine and pelvis.
Posture quadrant 4 …. your legs from the hip joint to the foot.

This posture scan is an excellent screening tool for 2 things; scoliosis and forward head posture (tech neck).

Our last 2 posts were regarding scoliosis and if you haven’t seen them yet, you can scroll down and check them out right here.

Previous to the scoliosis posts, there are 3 or 4 posts regarding tech neck and its associated health conditions.

One reason why posture quadrant #1 is the most important quadrant is because postural collapse here if left undetected and uncorrected, will cause eventual collapse of posture quadrant #2 and #3 both.

So, the posture check is non-invasive, it’s highly informative and quite predictive of potential, future health issues.

Remember that we offer as a community service, complimentary posture checks here at Life Chiropractic Centre.

To make an appointment for you and your family here at Life Chiropractic, please call us at 905 335 LIFE (5433).

Last time we talked about a 17 year old teenager who presented with a S-shaped scoliosis curve affecting the thoracic and lumbar spine.

This patient started postural correction care right away and a follow-up postural xray was taken 7 months later.

The thoracic curve which initially measured 28 degrees, now measured 19 degrees. This is a reduction (improvement) of 9 degrees.

The lumbar spine curve which initially measured 35 degrees, now measured 28 degrees. This is a reduction (improvement) of 7 degrees.

And another thing to note is that this patient became less reliant on the asthma puffer as the thoracic spine curve improved.

Why? Because better posture here allows better movement of the rib cage and thus improved lung capacity (more oxygen).

We are now in a holding pattern and even though a curve still remains, its impact on this patients overall health has been lessened.

Remember that all children should have a thorough posture check every year starting at 5 years of age.

Life Chiropractic Centre offers complimentary posture checks as a community service for all kids, and parents too.

The number to call to schedule your appointment is 905 335 LIFE (5433).

The parents of a 17 year old teenager noticed one day that their child’s rib cage was humping on one side.

They brought them in for a chiropractic and posture examination.

Postural xrays revealed an S –shaped scoliosis.

The thoracic spine curve measured 28 degrees and the lumbar spine curve measured 35 degrees.

There should be no curve in either of these parts of the spine; when looking at a spine from the back in the upright (standing position), it should be straight like a broomstick.

The only real health issue this teenager had was occasional asthma, but a curve of this degree is not beneficial for one’s overall health.

Remember that posture distortions in the thoracic spine can impair movement of the rib cage and thus impair lung capacity.

A scoliotic curve of this magnitude doesn’t take 2 months or even 2 years to develop.

A chiropractor who specializes in posture would have detected early indicators of this at the 5 to 7 years of age mark.

And if corrective care would have started at this age, it is highly unlikely the curve would have developed to the extent that it had.

This is an example of why all kids need a thorough posture examination every year starting at 5 years of age.

As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.

Life Chiropractic Centre offers complimentary posture checks as a community service for all children.

The number to call to make an appointment for your children is 905 335 LIFE (5433).

We have learned over the past few weeks how forward head posture (tech neck) and humpback (thoracic hyperkyphosis) can be contributory to carpal tunnel syndrome, upper back (shoulder) tension, headaches, lower back ache and fatigue (decreased lung capacity).

Some studies have even shown that this type of postural collapse has also been implicated in heart disease.

If you have not seen these posts yet, you can scroll down and check them out right here.I also gave you a few tips on how you can maintain an upright healthy posture especially when sitting and working at your computer, but if you habitual posture tends to slump forwards, this certainly warrants a further investigation.

The reason why is that for every inch of forward head posture that you have, this adds another 10 pounds of weight (stress) upon your neck and shoulders.

For example if you have 2 inches of forward head posture, this will add an extra 20 pounds of weight upon your neck and shoulders over and above the natural weight of your head.

The average head weighs about 12 pounds.

This kind of weight over the course of time can cause damage to your spine, especially the cervical spine (neck).

If you would like to have a more thorough investigation if you do have any concerns, I would like to invite you to come in for a complimentary posture check.

It is totally non-invasive, it only takes about 5 minutes and we can get some real head-weight numbers for you and then I can recommend a few options for you to correct this.

The number to call to reserve your appointment is 905 335 LIFE (5433) and feel free to bring in your kids as well and we can check your whole family at the same time.

And remember this appointment is of no charge to you.

We have learned over the past few weeks how forward head posture (tech neck) has been implicated in carpal tunnel syndrome, upper back tightness, headaches, lower back pain and fatigue.

And even you haven’t seen those videos yet, you can scroll down and check them out right here.

There is one other vital organ inside your chest cavity (thoracic cage) and that is your heart muscle.

So could postural collapse affect your heart in any way?

I am going to quote the summary of 2 studies and you can decide for yourself…

Kado (2005) evaluated the connection between posture and early mortality.
They evaluated the thoracic spine of 1353 elderly people and discovered that people with hyper-kyphotic posture (hump back) have a 144% greater rate of mortality.
In other words, as posture collapses, the percentage of dying before the normal lifespan greatly increases.

And a few years ago, the British Regional Health Study found that men who lost 3cm (1.2”) due to hyper-kyphotic posture (hump back) were 64% more likely to die of a heart attack.

Pay close attention to those numbers because they are more than significant.

So not only does postural collapse cause you to have musculoskeletal aches and pains, it can also impact internal organ function as well.

So if you are struggling with the aforementioned aches and pains, or your concerned about your heart and lung health, please be sure to watch our next video as I may have a solution for you.

We have learned how forward head posture (tech neck) can cause issues with your hands and wrists, upper back (shoulders), headaches and even lower back pain.

Have you ever noticed that after sitting at your computer for a while you feel tired and sluggish and you start yawning a lot?

There are a few reasons why this can happen but could one of the reasons why be your posture?

This is something that you can easily demonstrate on yourself.

Stand at attention and take in a great big deep breath. Pay attention to how freely your ribcage moves and how deep a breath you can take.

Now stand in a slouched forwards posture (head down looking at your feet) and do the same thing; paying attention to the movement of your ribcage and depth of breath.

There is no comparison right?

Your ribcage moves more freely (expands) and depth of breath is way deeper when in an upright posture.

Did you know that tech neck (postural collapse) can decrease your lung capacity by up to 30%?!

If you stand/sit with collapsed posture most of the day, not only is it unsightly but you are robbing yourself of vital oxygen which is needed by every single tissue cell in your body.

Another compelling reason to be mindful of your posture when interacting with technology.

Eyes up, chin up, breathe freely.

Everyone needs to be aware of the relation between neck posture and lower back pain.

Forward head posture or tech neck results from prolonged computer use.

Or using any form of technology for that matter.

As the head and neck collapse forwards, this will eventually cause humping of the upper back.

And if measures aren’t taken to correct this, postural collapse will progress.

This means increased forward head posture and increased humping of the upper back.

Now remember a thing called gravity?

Gravity acts upon our human frame all day every day.

And if your posture system is already collapsing forwards, the effect of gravity will further this collapse.

Now the way our posture system is designed, the pivot point of this collapse will be right across your waistline or lower back.

This is going to make your low back unhappy; the muscles will be continually stretched, the spinal joints and nerve roots will be continually irritated and chronic lower back ache will result.

Remember that this is a chain reaction affecting the entire posture system; starting with forward head posture (tech neck) – followed by humping of the upper back (thoracic hyper kyphosis) – resulting in collapse of the entire upper body (in the forward direction) with the pivot point being the lower back (lumbo-sacral junction).

Prevention all starts with being mindful of your posture … eyes up and chin up whenever you are interacting with technology.

Always!

Keep an eye on those precious children of yours until you know this is habitual with them.

Last time we talked about how forward head posture (tech neck) can cause those 2 hot spots in your upper back after sitting at your computer for prolonged periods.

You can check out that post by scrolling down if you haven’t seen it yet.

The same muscle that can cause those hot spots when it gets overstretched, can also cause headaches; especially along the base of the skull.These will typically be on your dominate side.

They may also travel around the side of your head to the temple, or up and over the top of your head and settle in your forehead/orbital area.What to do??

Always be mindful of your posture when sitting at your computer.

Eyes up and chin up always.

Poor posture is mind-less, good posture is mindful.

Take a posture break at least once an hour.Use your soft-gel icepack along the base of your skull for 10-15 minutes once or twice a day to soothe those tender spots.

Another uncomfortable symptom that can result from prolonged computer use is upper back tightness.

Specifically those 2 spots at the inner and upper tip of your shoulder blade (one on each side).

We have all had them; you often reach over your opposite shoulder and try to rub them out with your finger- tips.

In some people these can get nasty.

They can get real hard and start to burn.

How this happens is that there is a strip of muscle that travels from the base of your skull to that part of your shoulder blade.

Its job is to help elevate your shoulders.

Forward head posture or tech neck which happens with sitting a lot at the computer will stretch this muscle.

And after a while, the repetitive stretching will make the muscle angry where it attaches to boney tissue (shoulder blade) creating those tight and tender hot-spots.

What to do?

Three things…

Be mindful of posture when sitting at a computer.

Chin up and eyes up.

Be sure to take a posture break at least once every hour.

Place your soft-gel ice pack directly on those tender spots for 10 min once or twice a day.

The more comfortable you are when interacting with technology; the better your focus on your work or homework.