Back to School Tips for a Healthy Mind, Body, and Soul

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By: Dr. Tod Williams D.C

 

Class is back in session! The beginning of the new school year can be a fun and exciting time for your kids, but it can also be a stressful time. The beginning of the school year can be stressful for students, like meeting new teachers, getting back into the routine, and the work load of classes. So, as we start the new school, year let’s learn some tips to help set up our kids for success!

 

Tip #1: Choose the Right Backpack to Avoid Back Pain!

Our kids might want to go for the backpack that shows off their personality, but unfortunately, it may not offer a ton of support. We want the straps of a backpack to be wide and cushioned, and if we can find backpack that has the third strap that connects across the chest, that’s even better. The third strap across the chest helps with weight distribution, reducing stress and relieving pressure off the shoulders.

Another important tip is to make sure your child is wearing the backpack correctly. Wearing the backpack with just one strap on the shoulder might look cool, but carrying all the weight of the back pack on one side of the body can lead to misalignments to the spine!

 

Tip #2: Proper Posture in Class!

When sitting at a desk for hours each day over the course of the school year, it is important for your child to be practicing proper posture. Hunching over the desk and slouching can cause neck, shoulder, and back issues. To help prevent hunching over and their head from tilting over their shoulders, it will help to get a standing desk that tilts toward them to keep their books and homework at eye level. You can also teach them a couple stretches to do at their desk, especially for when standing is not an option! Those stretches will improve their spinal health and their ability to concentrate in class!

 

Tip #3: Keep Your Child Adjusted!

Regular chiropractic care will boost the overall health of your child. Chiropractic adjustments will help manage your child’s stress levels. Chiropractic care will also help boost your child’s immune system so they avoid getting sick throughout the school year. Being healthy allows them to avoid less sick days and falling behind in their classes. Better physical health will ultimately lead to better mental health!

How Can Chiropractic Help Long-term?

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You may have heard someone say “If you go to the chiropractor, you will have to go for the rest of your life” or “chiropractic is only for neck and back pain.” Those statements are completely incorrect. Though neck or back pain may be the initial reason people consider going to a chiropractor in the first place, we often see that people continue to go, even after the initial cause is resolved! This is usually because they have realized how good their bodies can feel with routine chiropractic care! After completing an initial phase of corrective care, we recommend wellness care at a lower frequency to maintain the changes made during that initial phase and to continue to improve your overall health. I will also discuss in this blog the additional benefits of wellness care and why it is important to add it to your health routine.

1. Injury and Illness Prevention:

You do not have to be in pain to benefit from chiropractic adjustments. The goal of the adjustment is to remove any nerve interference in the body. It is cheaper and more effective to take preventive measures than to be reactionary to any injury or illness. The rest of this blog will cover specific areas that can benefit from regular wellness chiropractic visits.

2. Range of Motion:

Chiropractic improves joint mobility. Better joint mobility reduces your risk of injury and cartilage deterioration. Chiropractic adjustments also help with loosening tighter muscles and improving strength in weaker muscles.

3. Nervous System Function:

Your nervous system is made up of the brain, the spinal cord, and all the nerves from the spinal cord that connect to every cell, tissue, organ, and muscle in the body. Your nervous system also controls and coordinates all other systems in the body. Chiropractic adjustments enhance your nervous system function and boosts blood flow throughout your body. Removing any interference to your nervous system enhances your whole-body performance.

4. Digestion:

Above, we learned that all systems are controlled by the nervous system. Your digestive system and nervous system are closely linked. Nerves in your spine control how your body digests food. Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea, constipation, and even heartburn can be resolved through chiropractic care. It is evident that gut health has a major impact on overall health. A healthy gut means superior digestion, a stronger immune system, improved sleep, and an ability to combat certain autoimmune diseases and cancers.

5. Sleep:

Regular chiropractic adjustments take unhealthy strain and stress off of the nerves, promoting relaxation. People who are able to get a better night’s rest can notice benefits like; being sick less often, lower risk for heart disease, mood improvement, and less injuries. While we’re sleeping, hormones flood the body, promoting healing, growth, repair, and other functions. The nervous system rests and recharges. Cortisol, a stress hormone, reduces while the body is asleep. Muscles relax, heal, and rest up, preparing for the next day of activity and use. The immune system releases cytokines, chemicals that fight inflammation, infection, and trauma.

6. Immune System:

While on the topic of the immune system from the last point, the immune system is influenced by your nervous system and endocrine system. Chiropractic adjustments can help strengthen your immune system by helping your body perform at peak performance, which allows it to fight off any germs. Having a higher functioning immune system leads to less illness and sickness overall!