Article: Children Posture Check

BE AWARE OF POSTURAL CHANGES IN GROWING CHILDREN

EARLY DETECTION CAN HELP PREVENT FUTURE PROBLEMS

Osteopaths have focused on spinal conditions for over 100 years. One of the most popular demonstrative tools is posture screening, it is a good first step in detecting any problems you or your family might have.

The more out of balance your spine and muscles becomes, the more it interferes with correct functional movement. The result can be a loss of mobility and strength, and symptoms such as pain and stiffness.Trials with thousands of patients have shown that manual care can ease pain, stiffness and lack of mobility caused by poor posture.

Use this simple chart to assess the posture of your children. If you note a head tilt, a curve in the spine, a hump in the upper back or a big curve in the lower back, and if you can't encourage improved posture through example there may be an underlying postural problem and a check-up is in order.

If you note that one shoulder is way lower than the other, or one hip is much higher...these are obvious signs of an imbalance. The twist that occurs in a developing spine (scoliosis) may actually need medical specialist attention, but a good chiro, osteo or physio can help with an assessment.

If the view from behind is twisted, or off to one side...the time to act is NOW! Just like preventive dentistry, structural intervention is best when used as prevention. All too often we see children are the end of their growth, then "prevention" becomes "treatment".

When we visually examine posture we are looking for tell-tale signs that are quite easy to see.

• First, looking from behind, does the body appear to be straight up and down?

• Is the middle of the back (the spine) in that straight line or does it lean to one side?

• Is the middle of the back (the spine) straight or is there a curve to one side ) or to the other ( ?

• Is the middle of the back (the spine) straight or is there a double curve, over to one side then back to the other?

• Are the shoulders level or is one shoulder lower than the other?

• Does the head lean to one side?

• Are the hips level? (Put your hands on the top of the hip bones if you can't tell just from looking...)

• Do the fingertips reach to the same level on the thighs?

• Next, look from the side...Does the lower back have a large curve, does the bottom "stick out"?

• Still looking from the side, does the upper back have a large curve, are the shoulders way forward?

• Still looking from the side, is there a fairly straight line from the ear down to the hipbone?

• Weight through each leg requires 2 bathroom scales, standing one foot on each scale and looking straight ahead, is the weight even?
  

Easy to determine if there is a postural imbalance, no need to worry if you find a tilt or a lean or a curve or twist, just bring your child with you on your next visit and we will assess posture (and compare results).