Tag: children
In spinal surgery, advancements in technology and medicine have given doctors new ways to combat conditions affecting the human body. Minimally invasive procedures use small incision for less complex procedures; in robotics, surgeons use robotic arms to carry out a minimally invasive procedures with potentially more accuracy. So what about 3-D printing? Technically, it’s been around since the 1980s, but hasn’t been used in medicine until recent years. Commonly used to support or replace body parts that don’t enter the bloodstream, 3-D printing has the ability to fabricate prosthetic limbs, layer by layer, from the ground up. What is 3-D …
I can’t stress enough the importance of good posture, and that’s especially true for kids. It’s not just that it makes them look and feel more alert and prepared; bad posture in childhood and adolescence can mean back pain in adulthood. Some doctors report seeing children as young as seven years old with back problems. A major part of the problem is the ways in which our kids learn and relax. Backpacks are heavier than ever, and the chairs most schools provide make good posture very difficult to achieve. Backward sloping chairs mean students have to curve their spines forward …
Across the board, I encourage my patients and their families to exercise regularly and participate in sports however they can. Competitive sports for children and young adults can serve as both a great learning experience, and an opportunity to make new friends. Sports also help kids to create building blocks for success later in life, and are a fun way to exercise among peers. However, a recent study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine showed that “excessive exposure to competitive sports activities during youth was associated with low back pain and symptoms in the lower extremities.” While strains and …
It’s that time of the year again! The start of September marks both the end of the summer season and the beginning of the school year for young adults and children. The first thing on the back-to-school supply list: the backpack! According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, over 79 million students in the US use a backpack daily. And each new grade means more books and heavier bags. Backpack safety is an important issue all parents should take into account as their children embark on another school year. Photo Credit: WellCommons.com, http://wellcommons.com/groups/hy-vee/2011/aug/3/back-to-school-backpack-safety-check/ The back is made up of some …
