Your child is working on a posture defect if he or she sits for hours at a desk, in front of the TV or computer, if he spends little time outdoors and avoids sports. Currently, bad posture is an increasingly serious problem for schoolchildren.

Contrary to appearancesposture defectit is not only unnatural curvaturesof the spine . Ifchildhas bad hips, knees or feet, walking, standing, running and even sitting can hurt. In order to reduce this pain - it positions its body unnaturally (i.e. asymmetrically, crookedly). If it does this constantly, then the entire skeleton deforms. For example, a hump, "dust" chest appears, the abdomen is pushed forward. Such defects in posture are not an aesthetic problem. A child with a large defect also has problems with breathing, gets tired faster, often has headaches, limp During play, he does not keep up with his he althy peers and is sometimes rejected by them, which causes stress and even depression.

Causes of posture defects

After birth, the toddler first pushes his back back (this is because in his mother's belly he had the so-called embryonic position, i.e. his spine resembled the letter "c"), and when he learns to walk - he puts his belly out to front. These body shifts are related to balancing. Around the age of 6, the spine begins to take its correct shape - in profile it resembles two stretched "s" letters standing on top of each other - but in fact it will eventually form around the age of 18. When a toddler goes to school, a difficult time begins for the spine. This is a period of rapid growth of a child. The muscles do not keep up with the development of the skeleton and do not provide sufficient support for the spine. And that's when a young person's lifestyle changes: he spends less time playing in the yard, running, and more hours at the bench or at the computer, often assuming the wrong position. A child sitting at a desk on tucked legs (or bent leg) and propping its head tilted in the palm of your hand is a very common sight. The second critical moment is puberty. Changing the proportion of the body and the current center of gravity makes teenagers stick out their stomachs. Girls humble themselves to hide their growing breasts, and boys - toto cover up a sudden jump in growth. When they get used to a bad posture, it will be difficult to wean them from it, and the curvature of the spine will become permanent.

Important

The silhouette of the baby begins to shape already in the mother's belly. In the first 3-4 months of a fetus's life, the seeds of the skeletal system are formed. Whether it will be strong enough depends on the baby's mum. If he cares for himself, he also cares for his unborn child. From the beginning of pregnancy, she should: rest, exercise, spend a lot of time outdoors, eat vegetables, fruits, dairy products and fish, because they contain vitamins, micro- and macroelements beneficial for the development of the fetus. The most important are folic acid (e.g., folate), vitamin D3, iodine (e.g., feminatal), and calcium (e.g., calcium D3).

Spine curvatures

  • Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine. It occurs when a baby is growing the fastest, usually between 6 and 24 months of age, then between 5 and 8 and 11 and 14 years of age. Symptoms: When we look at the baby's back from behind, we see that the spine does not form a straight line, but curves into arcs. Most often, bends are made at the level of the loins, in the thoracic or cervical spine. The most visible sign of scoliosis is the asymmetrical position of the shoulder blades. Causes: there are a lot of them - from birth defects of the spine, poor pelvic structure, unequal length of legs to lack of movement, carrying heavy bags and incorrect posture while sitting.
  • Lordosis - the spine is bent forward in the lumbar region. Symptoms: looking at the child's profile, we notice that he has a concave back and protruding abdomen. Causes: is usually the result of rickets, tuberculosis, paralysis of the back muscles, hip dislocation, but also lack of movement and dangerous spinal overloads.
  • Kyphosis, i.e. excessive backward bending of the spine in the thoracic section. Symptoms: we see this by looking at the baby's back or profile. Kyphosis is called round back and even a hump. Reasons: most often it occurs as a result of rickets or as a result of vertebral crushing, e.g. as a result of a child carrying too much weight.
You must do it

Do you want to check if your child has back problems?

Make a simple home test. If anything worries you - contact an orthopedist quickly.

  1. Ask the child in only panties to stand with his back to you. See if her shoulders are at the same height and shoulders are even. If either arm is more sloping and one of the shoulder blades is lower, it is a sign of a posture defect. The same goes for the hips. When one of them is pushed more to the side, we have reason to worry.
  2. Tell the child to dobend forward, as if trying to grasp the toes with your hands, but not bending the legs at the knees. Now look carefully at his back - they should be equally arched on both sides of the spine (any asymmetry is disturbing). Run your thumb over the spine with gentle pressure. The pink line that appears should be straight.
    3. Finally, have the child stand sideways to you. See if the back is too round (hunchbacked) and the belly is too tense.

Corrective exercises for the spine

If the posture defect is detected early (deviation from the vertical position in the case of the spine is less than 10 degrees and the child is 7-8 years old), corrective exercises and changing the child's habits are often enough. We will get descriptions of exercises for the child from the orthopedist. Sometimes he also orders rehabilitation classes. Changing the lifestyle is important: the child should move as much as possible, because it is about strengthening the muscles and ligaments that stabilize the spine. With a doctor or physiotherapist, we can also arrange sports disciplines recommended for our child. For example, in scoliosis, swimming, water polo, canoeing, volleyball, handball and basketball are recommended. However, it is not advisable to practice jumping, instrument gymnastics or lifting weights. Back swimming is recommended for lordosis, and all abdominal swimming in kyphosis, but you are not allowed to swim on your back, ride a bike, carry weights or exercise any equipment.

Specialist treatment of posture defects

About 3 percent spine curvature cases require specialist treatment. Most often, the orthopedic surgeon orders the child to wear an orthopedic corset, which by pressing on the spine forces its proper positioning. A corset made to measure must first be worn 18 hours a day, and then it is enough to put it on at night. Sometimes postural correction is required surgically. The operation consists in inserting a metal plate that holds and stabilizes the spine in the place of the unnatural curve so that it maintains the correct position. Usually, such a scaffolding consists of several adjacent vertebrae.

Preventing spine curvatures in young children

Curvature of the spine often occurs in the first months of life. To prevent them:

  • Don't put your baby on his back all the time. When you put them on your tummy - raises the head and exercises the back muscles. Lying on your back, this is not possible.
  • Don't carry your baby on the same arm all the time. To keep balance, it will automatically tilt only to one side and the curve is done.
  • Don't buy the crib too softmattress. Also, don't put a high pillow under your baby's head.
  • Do not make your toddler stand up and walk prematurely. The upright position forces the still weak skeleton too much and may cause vertebrae deformation. Instead, encourage your baby to crawl, which strengthens the muscles.
  • Don't avoid the sun. In summer, when it's hot, put the stroller in partial shade. Ultraviolet rays cause the production of vitamin D necessary for the bones in the child's skin. The lack of this vitamin promotes rickets.
  • Do not carry your child in a foldable umbrella stroller. The unstiffened backrest causes the toddler's spine to constantly take the unnatural shape of the letter C.

Spine curvature prevention in school-age children

  • Enroll your child in corrective gymnastics. The orthopedist will select the exercises according to the degree and type of the defect.
  • Exercise daily with your baby for about 20 minutes. It's great fun and better for both of you.
  • Sign the child in the swimming pool. Swimming is the best and safest form of sports for the spine.
  • Encourage your child to move, e.g. jogging, cycling, rollerblading or skiing (especially cross-country skiing).
  • Take care of the proper diet of the child. There must be a lot of calcium and vitamin D. The daily menu should therefore include: milk, white cheese, butter, yogurt, fish, eggs, vegetables and fruit, and lean meat.
  • Do not make your child overweight. Let him eat more often (including lunch at school and afternoon tea at home or during extra-curricular activities), but in smaller portions.
  • Get your baby used to sleeping on a flat pillow, preferably in the fetal position.
  • Buy a height-adjustable desk and chair. The desk top should be square or rectangular, not oval or round. When the child is sitting, the forearms should lie on the table top and the elbows slightly protrude beyond its edge. If your child is working at the computer, the monitor should be placed in front of the face, not sideways. The chair must be adjustable in height, with elbow supports and a backrest that are curved on the lumbar spine, and concave - on the thoracic spine. When the child is sitting, his legs must not dangle in the air - his feet are to be placed on the floor. In addition to the traditional chair, put the so-called kneel down. It is designed in such a way that the child has to balance and thus exercise the back.
  • Choose a good school bag or backpack for school. It is to have a stiffened back and wide, adjustable shoulder straps. When put on the back, it must adhere to them, not rest on the bottom. Make sure that your child carries only the necessary items in a schoolbag or backpackstuff.

Exercises that can be done with your child

It is difficult to persuade a child to exercise systematically. He will certainly be more likely to exercise in your company and while having fun. Besides, your spine also needs some exercise.

  • Take two books with stiff covers. Put one on your head and the other on your baby's head. Set a task, e.g. who will get to the front door faster without losing a volume. The back must be straight all the time. Do the race several times.
  • Ask your baby to sit on his heels and bend forward deeply without lifting his buttocks off the heels. Let him stretch his hands as far in front of him as possible and put, for example, a pen as far as possible. If, repeating the exercise 5 times, each time he puts the item on - he will get a reward. You measure the distance. You can also do this exercise. Then the child measures the distance and you get a prize.
  • Grab the brush sticks with both hands and place them on your back. For everyone the stick must rest on both shoulder blades. Turn on lively music and suggest dancing with the sticks together. Whoever comes up with the most fancy dance step - wins. You evaluate each other or invite someone to the jury.
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