Back pain in children often begins after they start school. While they often move around all day in kindergarten or daycare, physical activities are increasingly restricted. Long school days with excessive sitting, less exercise in their free time and more screen time in front of the cell phone, PC and television are among the reasons. Dr. Munther Sabarini, neurosurgeon and founder of the Avicenna Clinic in Berlin, explains how children can start school without back problems.
According to the KiGGS study by the Robert Koch Institute, which has been collecting current and representative health data for children and young people in Germany since 2009, 95 percent of parents rate the general health of their 3- to 17-year-old children as good or very good. The health of 3- to 6-year-olds in particular is rated very positively. However, the values decrease with age. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents in particular has stabilized at a high level, as data from the survey period from 2014 to 2017 show. “As a result, back pain is also becoming an increasingly common problem among children. The long-term KiGGS study shows that of almost 18,000 children and young people aged 11 to 17, more than three quarters say they have felt pain at some point – almost half of them back pain,” reports Dr. Munther Sabarini, neurosurgeon and founder of the Avicenna Clinic in Berlin. Long school days with excessive sitting, less exercise in free time and more screen time in front of cell phones, computers and television are some of the reasons. Dr. Sabarini gives tips on how to start school without back problems.
Integrate exercise into everyday life
Back pain in children often begins after they start school. While they often move around all day in kindergarten or daycare, physical activities are increasingly restricted. They spend most of their time sitting in the classroom and after school they do homework or spend their free time in front of the television or smartphone. This means that the body lacks a balance that school sports alone cannot provide. “If children do not move enough, this can lead to obesity. In addition, over time the muscles in the back and stomach become weaker, the entire torso becomes unstable and the spine is subjected to too much strain. The result: tension and back pain,” explains Dr. Sabarini. The World Health Organization recommends that children and young people should be physically active for at least an hour every day. This means that even moderate exercise such as walking or cycling – for example on the way to school – supports back health. Playful activities such as climbing, running and jumping also help. In clubs, children can also find a sport that they enjoy and exercise together with others.
Change your sitting position more often
Whether at school or at home, children and young people spend a lot of time at their desks. Sitting, however, puts more strain on the spine and back muscles than walking or standing. In addition, many adopt a damaging posture with a bent head and a rounded back. “This typical desk posture in particular causes back and neck pain. The best way to counteract this is to change your sitting position frequently. So it should be okay to support your head with your hand, lean on the chair or slide back and forth – the main thing is that the spine stays moving,” says the neurosurgeon.
Dr. Munther Sabarini
Pay attention to the weight and fit of school backpacks
School bags that are too heavy or incorrectly adjusted also put strain on young spines and can lead to posture problems. In general, parents should ensure that children do not carry unnecessary weight. Books for subjects that are not taught should not be in school bags on those days. Some schools therefore also offer lockers in which students can store their teaching materials. Suitable school backpacks also prevent problems. “The backpack should be as light as possible, conform to the double S-shape of the spine with padding and have padded carrying straps. I also recommend that the school bag is not wider than the child’s shoulders and should end at shoulder height. It should also always be carried on both shoulders so that both sides of the body are evenly loaded. When transporting heavy objects to school, it is best to place them close to the back and distribute the weight evenly to the sides,” recommends Dr. Sabarini.
Limit media consumption
Even young children regularly watch television or spend time in front of smartphones and tablets. „“When you look down at mobile devices, you lower your head by around 45 degrees. The further forward the head is tilted, the greater the strain on the neck. At a 15-degree tilt, an additional 12 kilograms are placed on the spine in addition to the basic weight of the head. At 45 degrees, it is over 20 kilograms, which is the equivalent of the weight of a crate of water,” explains Dr. Sabarini. Due to the lowered position of the head, the cervical spine has to counteract an enormous force, because in the mobile phone position, the small joints between the vertebral bodies are in an end position and the joint capsules and ligaments are constantly stretched, the muscles are under tension. In order to avoid so-called “mobile phone neck” and the resulting neck and back pain, it is important to limit media consumption. For six to eleven-year-olds, a maximum of one hour a day is recommended for television and smartphones. If children’s screen time is limited, they also have more time to move around.
“If children complain of back pain regularly or for a long time, it is important to have it checked by a doctor. In rare cases, diseases such as scoliosis, inflammation, malformations or growth disorders can also be the cause,” concludes Dr. Sabarini.
Photos: Borgmeier Public Relations and Pixabay.com
