Tech neck is the most common problem we see in teens and pre-teens. Children spend too much time in poor posture, seated with their shoulders hunched, ribcage collapsed and neck bent forward. It’s the posture for studying, drawing, writing, reading, and you know it — using devices.
Postural habits learned in childhood can last a lifetime. Here’s how to get children to straighten up.
1. Start the day by stretching
Take five minutes to practice long, deep yoga moves like downward dog and warrior. Think of stretching the whole spine, not just the neck, with slow rotations. Make a game of it by having your child “draw” circles with their nose on the wall while standing or on the ceiling above them while lying down.
2. Adjust their position
When your kid is playing on a phone or tablet, encourage them to bring the device to their face, not their face to the device. Demonstrate how to brace their elbows against their ribs for better support. If they’re sitting at a desk, keep the keyboard at elbow height, the top of the monitor at eye level, and their feet flat on the floor.
3. Practice proper sitting
Most chairs aren’t the right height for children, so see if you can adjust the seat to the height of your child’s kneecap. This will allow the small of their back to assume its natural position. You can also show how to sit on the front edge of a chair to allow your shoulders to relax.
Of course, we at Lagos Chiropractic can help ensure poor posture is corrected before it becomes a real problem. Chiropractic is for kids too!
Lagos Chiropractic
+351 282 768 044
