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Posture Perfect
What Is Your Child's Posture
Telling You?
Telling You?
By Gina Roberts-Grey
There are many factors and conditions that contribute to a child experiencing lower back, neck, leg and shoulder pain or tension headaches. Peer pressure, the stress of tests and exams and a child's constantly changing skeletal system are just a few of the causes of these symptoms and physical conditions. Although outside influences lend a hand in contributing to a child's back pain and headaches, many health experts are starting to speak out on how a child's posture is one of the most important factors in preventing these and other medical conditions.
You might expect your child's posture to be an indicator as to whether his back will be problematic or why he is not as energetic as you expect he should be. What you might not anticipate is that observing your child's posture opens a window into his level of self-confidence, self-esteem and ability to communicate.
According to Anthony Galante, D.C., of Algonquin, Ill., correct posture exists when several parts of your body are aligned. "If your bones behind your ears, shoulders, hips and ankle are perfectly straight when viewed from the side, and your shoulders and hips are level from the front or rear, your posture is virtually perfect," says Galante. While many make valiant attempts at achieving this enviably stance, the majority of young children and teenagers do not have nearly the posture they should – or could have.
It is natural to associate posture with standing or walking. However, a child's seated posture is often the area most in need of attention. Children spend a majority of their school day sitting at a desk. "It is common for kids to gather around a teacher during read aloud or on the gymnasium floor during an assembly," says Barbara Pietschman, a special education teacher in Twin Lakes, Wis. "It's amazing how many children automatically sit slouched or with their backs drastically rounded during these times."