My last article dealt with the topic of chiropractic and pregnancy. I hope it was helpful to many of you expecting moms! This article will address many of the musculoskeletal conditions that mom (and dad, for that matter) likely will have to deal with following the birth of baby!
This topic is also probably very familiar to most people out there (at least if you deal with small children.and most people at some time in their life will!). I am currently treating a lot of new and ‘kinda’ new mothers who have mid and low back pain from carrying around their infant and/or toddler(s) and moving the children from place to place. Although an infant (we’ll say less than 1 year of age) is not too heavy, with time, the little critters begin to feel quite heavy! It is not hard to understand how carrying and transporting a small child can definitely create quite a strain on one’s back, shoulders, neck, hips, etc.
The funny thing about an infant is that the weight is like ‘dead weight.’ What I mean by this is that if the child could only cling to your shoulder, shirt, neck, etc.the child would help to support its own weight and it wouldn’t seem so darn heavy! However, this is obviously not the case. In terms of transport, infants are like cute sacks of potatoes! (Sorry new moms!) But it is true. Lifting, holding, and placing infants and little kids are quite physically demanding! I would like to discuss two activities that subject your body to a great risk of injury when caring for an infant or small child, and some basic suggestions that will help you properly perform these activities.
The first activity that is frequently performed improperly when caring for a child deals with placing and removing a child from a child’s car seat. Although well constructed to protect your child from injury in an accident, moving an infant in and out of the seat can really subject you to serious back injury! As mothers and fathers can understand, it is very hard to place a child in the car seat without a lot of bending. In addition, reaching into the car to place the child forces one to extend their arms with the child, thus putting a lot of stress into the shoulders, upper back, and neck.
Although there is really no way to completely eliminate the stresses involved with using a child’s car seat, there are a few things that can be done to reduce the stress. First, and always, bend the knees. This sounds simple enough, but hardly anyone does it! All you have to do is watch people use the car seats to prove this point! Second, position your body to avoid any type of twisting motion.this will reduce spinal pressure. Third, if you can get a leg into the car (those with minivans and SUVS have an advantage here), by all means do so. This will enable you to get closer to the seat while holding the child closer to you so that you do not need to extend your arms as much.reducing shoulder, neck, and upper back stress. The closer you hold the child to your body, the more you reduce the risk of injury.
The second activity that is performed that can lead to injury is the simple task of lifting and carrying a child. This activity actually includes the risk for a lot of potential problems. Have you ever observed the following chiropractic “no-no’s”?
- A person with child in his/her arms leaning off to one side with the hip elevated to make carrying the child more comfortable?
- A person holding a child always on one side?
- The way a person lifts a child out of a baby carriage?
- The way how a person picks a child up from the floor?
The fist example could create pain by producing joint problems and muscular imbalances usually in the low back and hips. The second example would tend to create neck, upper back, and shoulder pain. The third and forth examples would be apt to produce low back, mid-back, and shoulder injury.
It becomes readily apparent that everyday activities involving infant and child care can lead to injury. The best way to prevent such injuries is to be careful, practice proper lifting and placing techniques, and take your time when lifting, carrying, or transporting an infant. If you are unsure about how to do so, consult with a professional who can help you perform these activities properly. It is also important to stretch and take care of your body to help keep the joints, muscles, and ligaments supple to help avoid injury. Chiropractic care is an important component as we help restore proper function to injured joints and soft tissues and rehabilitate damaged areas so that you can function at a more optimal level.
On this note, if you experience discomfort or pain, it is good to have it checked out promptly. It is important that you do not neglect pain! Remember that ‘pain’ is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Pain is usually the last thing that shows up when your body has something wrong with it, and the first thing to go away. Finding the cause of the pain and correcting it will yield long-term benefits. Simply treating the pain with medications will not correct the underlying problem. A minor sprain, strain, or joint problem can become much worse with repeated improper activity. Proper treatment will give your body the best opportunity for a speedy recovery.
Until next time, take care!
