Look at their backs, is it scoliosis or just plain bad posture? Let’s find out.

Hello out there, all you home-bound moms dads and kids. How’s it going? By now I hope you are settled into more or less of a routine. If you have decent weather, I hope your kids are bike riding around town (if permitted in your town) and keeping active in your driveway (if you have one) or on the roof of your building (if you have a fence) or playing tennis and jumping rope.

After the school teleconferences (not parents but students) are done, I have a feeling your kids will be at their devices and computers, playing games, texting or whatever communication app they use.

This is a good time to check each one of your family members for questionable back posture. It used to be called, nerd neck, scholar’s neck or reading neck. To keep up with technology the latest term for the slanting of the neck forward is, tech neck. The human head weighs approximately ten to twelve pounds. If you tilt your head just fifteen degrees forward, the weight of the head can feel as if you are carrying up to twenty-seven pounds. With a tilt of thirty degrees the weight can feel like forty pounds affecting the spine with this additional weight. If the person has a severe type of this forward neck condition with a tilt of sixty degrees where the chin touches the chest, then the weight will increase to up to sixty pounds. The spine can feel as if it is collapsing, causing lower back pain. That’s not all, the knees will begin to hurt, and the pain descends to the ankles as well.

Forward head posture

Forward head posture is defined as the forward leaning of the skull of more than an inch over the first vertebra of the neck. This causes the joints and muscles in front of the neck to become weak and at the same time tightening the muscles of the upper back and shoulders.

Rounding of the shoulders is a change that occurs when there is too much pressure on the tissues, nerves and muscles of the neck and shoulders. This can cause headaches and dizziness as well as misalignment and pain in every joint of the body. In order for the human body to compensate for this abnormal posture, the balance of the controls of the body is altered causing balance problems and increase in the risk of accidents.

Computers and Cell Phone Postures

For older kids and adults using a computer monitor, the problem of forward neck is easier to resolve than cell phone forward neck posture. In fact, you can watch other colleagues in the office to see how they sit in front of their computers. The natural tendency of a computer user is to lean forward against the desk as they hold the mouse in their hand. Sitting at a computer for an extended period, can cause strain to various muscles. In order to avoid pain and neck issues, the neck must remain in a neutral and relaxed position. This can be accomplished by making sure that the upper third of the computer screen is at eye level and that the monitor should be a safe eighteen to twenty inches away from the face. If a person feels their head poking forward, he should become attuned to bringing it back to neutral position. This is not such a difficult habit to become accustomed to.

With tech neck, solutions are more challenging. Children who develop bad posture can cause long term negative effects to their neck, back and spine. In fact, the digestive organs as well become compressed and food cannot be digested efficiently. Heart disease and varicose veins are dangerous side effects of bad posture. The spinal cord can change shape causing lots of pain and balance issues.

Researchers have noticed that there is an increasing amount of doctor visits by children experiencing chronic back pain and they attribute this problem to the increase in cell phone use.

Slouching when using a mobile device can be habit forming. This form of sitting can be shifted to the classroom and dinner table especially if the child is eating alone and will be using the device at the table. But, even without the device in front of the child, the bad habit of slouching can become easily predominant. What happens is, that when the child bends over the phone, iPad or tablet, the angle of the head puts more strains on the other muscles and ligaments of the neck.

Some helpful hints to avoid tech neck syndrome

1) Of course, the best advice is to get your children off the couches, beds and floor and start moving. With warmer weather on the horizon, the kids should shift to the outdoors and use their free time to play non – contact sports (till this virus blows over) like tennis, biking, and rollerblading. In bad weather, dancing and exercise are good subs when indoors.

2) Have the child sit up straight while using a device by purchasing a special holder for the child to use to avoid slouching.

3) Have your child stop every few minutes while texting to raise and stretch their arms above their heads.

4) Use the right pillow that will support the natural curve of the neck. Using more than one pillow is detrimental and increases forward neck syndrome. The pillow should not be too stiff or too high.

5) While elevating your monitor, as mentioned previously, choose a chair height that allows the person’s feet to be firmly planted on the floor. The desk should be able to allow the forearms to be parallel to the floor as the shoulders relax.

6) Neck exercises are very important to improve posture and strengthen muscles.

• Turn the head to the left while feeling a stretch. Hold this position for five seconds. Then do the same to the right. Bring the head back to the neutral position.
• Stretch your chin forward till you feel the stretch in your neck. Hold this position for five seconds. Pull your chin into a neutral position.
• Tilt the head toward the left shoulder and feel the stretch. Hold for five second then repeat on the right side.
• Tuck your chin in by using two fingers of one hand. Put the other hand on the back of your head and apply light pressure down as you pull your head towards the chest.
• When you feel the stretch at the back of the neck, hold the position for about 25 seconds. This stretch should be repeated three times.
• To open the tightened chest and shoulders, do the open doorway stretch. Hold on to the doorway with your elbows and hands in line with the doorway. Each hand should be at a right angle. Move through the door at a slow pace until you feel a stretch. Keep this position for about twenty-five seconds before going back to the original starting position. Repeat two or three times. Make sure you do not arch your lower back while doing the open door stretch.
• The shoulder blade squeeze while sitting on a chair with a back is quite an effective exercise to activate and strengthen the lower and mid back. Sit down in a chair and position the feet and knees to be slightly wider than the hips. Tuck in the chin and raise your chest up to allow the spine to be in a neutral position. Put down both of your arms at your sides. Bring each arm to the back of the chair and rotate them so that the thumbs are pointing backwards. Hold this position for about ten seconds and then release. Repeat ten times for two or three sets.
• This next exercise is for an upper body stretch. While standing, place the hand on the opposite side of your head. Bring the head down towards the shoulder. Use the overhead hand to press your neck down gently in order to get a deep stretch. Hold this position for twenty to thirty seconds for two to three sets.

Conclusion

Scoliosis is a specific type of curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is defined as a curvature of the spine that bends sideways. When you are looking at the back of a person with scoliosis, the spine curves slightly to the right. There is also a spinal condition like scoliosis which is called lordosis. This is when the spine is bending forward.

In case, your child is not responding positively to the call for exercise and you are still bothered by his or her posture, it is probably time to see a scoliosis specialist. Chances are your child will need some extra physical therapy specifically geared to a tech neck. It may be lordosis, scoliosis or just plain slouching. Whatever it is, it needs to be taken care of promptly. Sometimes kids listen to us and sometimes they don’t. That’s when the experts come in very handy.

“Scoliosis! Oh, no, not again”, exclaimed a quite upset mother named, Katie. Katie had just finished a well checkup at her pediatrician with her eleven-year-old daughter, Marla. One of the reasons Katie trusted this doctor was because he was an expert on childhood scoliosis. Katie has four children, one boy and three girls. Her oldest daughter, who is married now, had to be treated with a brace for scoliosis as a teenager. Her other two children were free of this spine disorder, so she was surprised and disturbed when her doctor proclaimed that Marla had a twenty percent curvature of the spine.

Katie has been quite diligent trying to prevent her children from developing scoliosis since her oldest child’s diagnosis. She made sure that her babies slept on a firm mattress trying not to take them with her to bed. She researched the best highchairs and carriages that would keep her babies’ backs taut and straight. She also performed exercises with her babies to prevent flat head syndrome and torticollis. By switching the sides of the crib and positions of sleep of her babies, keeping them on their tummies, and playing with them instead of keeping them on their backs, she was successful in avoiding the symptoms of early bad posture.

At twenty percent, most doctors will prescribe the watch and wait method, however, Katie would have none of that. She immediately made an appointment with her neighborhood scoliosis center and was able to start Marla on physical therapy and hopefully she will avoid brace therapy.

Usually, scoliosis therapy is started at about a 25% Cobb curvature measurement. Increasingly, doctors and parents are becoming aware that there is a genetic factor associated with childhood scoliosis. Recent research studies are showing that there are genes, enzymes, neurotransmitters and hormones (a reason why the incidence of scoliosis is more prevalent in girls) that are responsible for scoliosis. Postural memory is the term used when the patterns of the brain are altered causing abnormal production of hormones, key proteins and nervous system problems.

These are some of terminologies we will examine in this article, zebrafish, manganese, SLC39A8, ladybird homeobox gene, LBX1, and CHD7.

Manganese

Let’s start with the simplest slightly familiar sounding term, manganese. Manganese is a type of mineral found in whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, tea and leafy green vegetables. It is considered an essential nutrient for the human body to function efficiently. There is a type of medicine taken by mouth for manganese deficiency.

Manganese is both good and bad. It can be an essential mineral and a toxin. High doses of this mineral can cause tremors, walking difficulties and psychological symptoms such as hallucinations and personality disorders. Manganese deficiency in animal studies can impair growth and cause curvature of the spine.

In humans, the gene does not stop working totally, but rather it does not working optimally. It seems easy enough to just supplement the diet of the child who suffers from severe scoliosis with manganese, but it is not that simple. Scientists at Washington University (published in the journal, Nature Communication), have found that children with severe scoliosis are two times as likely than children without this spinal disorder, to carry a gene that makes it hard for their cells to take it in and use manganese.

Professor Christina Gurnett scanned all the genes of 457 children with severe scoliosis and 987 children without severe scoliosis. The gene, SLC39A8, was present in only six percent of the unaffected children but present in twelve percent of the children with severe scoliosis.

A separate research group took 1,095 unaffected children and tested them against 841 affected children with moderate to severe scoliosis and found that the children with scoliosis were twice as likely to carry the gene. The study found that those with the gene could absorb zinc and iron but not manganese. Blood tests on the children with the gene revealed lower levels of manganese.

There is a test on the market, called ScoliSMART which costs $299. This test can identify specific genes (or SNPs) that are associated with idiopathic scoliosis. This test helps the doctor assess the best course of action to minimize the effect of these genes on spine curvature and stop it from worsening. The test can pinpoint genetic disposition for developing scoliosis in children before diagnosing actual spine curvature. “ScoliSMART labs, have discovered twenty eight genomic functional variant groups directly associated with idiopathic scoliosis” (according to Dr. Clayton J. Stitzel) If this test is indeed as effective as the company claims, it could have been used by Marla’s doctor in our introductory story.

Ladybird homeobox 1 (LBX1)

A genetic chain reaction due to ladybird homeobox 1, an overactive gene, is found to be the start of a genetic chain reaction causing the spine to grow abnormally according to Asian Scientist (April 19, 2016). These findings were also published in PLOS Genetics.

Several types of genetic experiments on a small freshwater fish called the zebrafish, were performed in research labs to mimic scoliosis. By manipulating the genes of the zebrafish with an excessive amount of the gene, LBX1, scientists were able to monitor how the spines of these fish developed. Timing of when too much LBX1 is injected into the fish was crucial in the way the fish bodies developed.

1) When embryos of the fish were injected with extra LBX1, the cells of the backbone and back muscles were seen to be wider than in healthy fish. The fish that survived the experiments developed misshapen bones in their backs on which scoliosis could be observed. Researchers were excited because the experiment with the zebrafish models the defect of scoliosis in humans with the same misshapen bones in a smaller version.

2) In a modified experiment, the zebrafish were injected with extra LBX1 throughout their lives. The gene was only injected into some cells called research genetic mosaics. Interestingly some of the fish bones were correctly shaped but their spines grew curved as they entered adulthood. This experiment was very important since it is typical for most human cases of scoliosis, where initially there are no signs of back problems until the time of growth spurts just before and during adolescence. Adolescent scoliosis affects two to four percent of all children ages ten to sixteen.

The female zebrafish were noticed to develop scoliosis more than the male fish. As noted earlier, adolescent- onset scoliosis is more prevalent in girls and as of yet researchers are not accurately giving reasons although female hormones are noted by some to be one of the causes. Osteoporosis in adults is more prevalent in women for the same hormonal reasons.

Hormones

There is strong evidence that scoliosis is family related. Almost one third of the patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis have a family history of this condition as Marla in our introductory story. First-degree relatives have an eleven percent chance of also having this problem.

One of the studies indicated that only nine percent of the boys and twenty-nine percent of the girls whose parent had scoliosis developed it as well. This indicates a strong likelihood that the hormone, estrogen may be the cause. The study suggests that specific genetic variants can cause “estrogen signaling dysfunction”. When a female patient who has this type of a gene, enters pre-teen growth spurts, excessive estrogen will be produced causing scoliosis.

CHD7 Gene

Dr. Carol Wise, at Scottish Rite Hospital, assembled data on fifty-two families with a history of scoliosis. One family member was from an earlier generation and the other family member was there for treatment. They scanned the patients who had an average curvature of forty degrees and were otherwise healthy. CHD7 is a protein that is crucial in the development of a healthy and straight spine. The researchers theorized that although the production of this protein was not actually disrupted, the gene mutation alters the binding of a molecule preventing the actual gene from turning on correctly. Then the amount of CHD7 that is produced decreases.

According to Dr. Michael Lovett (professor of genetics and pediatrics) the linking of the gradual worsening of scoliosis with the slow decrease in the production of CHD7 protein means that just the same way that scoliosis develops slowly over a long period of time, so too the protein decreases slowly over a long period of time.

Fascinating advances are being made in finding the genetic causes of adolescent scoliosis. Genetic testing in general is quite controversial especially in religious circles. Testing singles before marriage to see if they are carriers of genetic diseases is encouraged in certain communities.

Carrying this idea to an extreme would be worrisome and unnecessary, if there is not much that can be done to prevent certain diseases (for example, certain dispositions to certain cancers). However, testing for scoliosis if it runs in the family, could be quite beneficial and not problematic.

Using these new gene tests appropriately, and with the doctor and parent being on the lookout for subtle changes as the child gets close to puberty, could prevent major therapies and surgery. Instead, the child could be seen by a physical therapist at their local scoliosis center and be treated with either exercises or brace therapy before the curvature becomes more severe.

Dana is a thirteen-year-old girl living in Roseland, New Jersey. Recently, she went shopping with her mom Amy, at the Livingston Mall, getting ready for the spring season. They went through some tops, bottoms, and even a formal dress for an upcoming family wedding. Dana tried on one specific dress from a top brand designer which happened to look amazing on her. While she was looking at herself from every angle in the mirror, Dana noticed that the personal shopper was discussing something of concern with her mother. On the way back home from the mall, Dana asked, “What were you discussing with the lady in the store?”. At first, Amy tried to avoid answering, but the girl was simply not letting go. With that she responded, “The lady who was helping us was telling me that your shoulders are uneven, and we might need to alter the dress to make it look just right”. Dana and her mom apparently were quite aware of this issue, but never actually had the wherewithal to get it checked out. In fact, at the last well visit, Amy recalled the pediatrician mentioning something to her about the curvature of Dana’s spine being slightly large. Originally, Dana seemed to have a mild case of scoliosis, but as she was getting older, it became a more severe case of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.  

What is scoliosis and what are the options for treatment?

Prior to explaining the condition, we must first understand the three types of curvatures of the spine, lordosis, kyphosis, and scoliosis. Lordosis refers to the regular inward curvatures of the spine at the cervical and lumbar regions. If you were looking straight, this part of the spine would point in the same direction to which you were looking. Kyphosis on the other hand refers to the outward curvatures of the spine. When facing forward, this part of the spine points to your back side. Here is an easy way to remember, of what Lordosis is. When you are bowing to the Lord, you always bend forward.

Scoliosis is another curvature of the spine, but this type of curve is abnormal. Curved spine scoliosis occurs when the curvature of the spine bends sideways. This means that when you are looking at the back of a person with scoliosis, the spine curves slightly to the right or back. Scoliosis can occur at the cervical, lumbar, and mid-section of the spine.

Idiopathic scoliosis is by far the most common type of scoliosis, as it is found in three percent of adolescents. In fact, it’s eight times more common in girls versus boys. Other types of scoliosis include, neuromuscular scoliosis, which occurs in people that don’t have control over their muscles, and congenital scoliosis, which is a type of scoliosis the one is born with, as per the spine not being fully developed.

Treatment for Scoliosis in Child

Traditional treatments for mild cases include bracing and in more severe cases, surgery. With the advance in spinal medicine two other treatments have become popular due to their non-invasive approach, The Schroth Method, and WCR brace therapy or better known as the Rigo-Chêneau Brace, invented by Dr. Emanuel Rigo and Dr. Jacques Cheneau. Each of these therapies have been proven to correct the scoliosis with little to no discomfort. Being that these new treatments have come to the market, parents have more options than ever when treating scoliosis. Only in more severe cases will surgery be required. It’s best to go with the non-invasive approach prior to considering surgery.

Scoliosis Spine Surgery

In cases where the Cobb angle is forty to forty-five degrees, doctors will recommend surgery to straighten the spine. The most common type of scoliosis surgery is called spinal fusion. Surgeons will connect two or more of the vertebrates together in order to straighten the spine. The surgery is meant to keep the spine in its natural position getting rid of the abnormal curve to either the right or the left. When a scoliosis patient is treated with surgery, it may result in the limitation of motion of the spine and possibly other lifelong consequences.

Some teens who cannot handle the non-invasive treatment options will elect for surgery to simply fix the problem once and for all. This may be due to them being frustrated with their appearance, not being able to show up to therapy, and discomfort of wearing a scoliosis brace. Keep in mind that these adolescents find themselves in a Western culture that promotes apparel showing more flesh, and that makes the impact of scoliosis that much greater on them.

How Common Is Scoliosis?

The good news is that scoliosis is quite common and very often people live with it without even knowing about it. In fact, three-million cases are diagnosed each year with and less than 1%, are treated with surgery. Over the course of a decade, close to 30,000,000 cases are diagnosed to which most receive absolutely no treatment at all. If their child is in pain or not content with their appearance, parents should get their child evaluated by a scoliosis specialist. Next time take a close look at your child’s spine and see if an abnormal curvature is apparent.  

Celebrities with Scoliosis

Many celebrities have led successful careers with the effects of scoliosis. Some of these celebrities include Elizabeth Taylor, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Jack Brooksbank or the better known Princess Eugenie of York, a member of the British Royal family. Princess Eugenie is the daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She by far has the most public appearances and one can take note that one of the princess’s shoulders was slightly elevated. At 12 years of age, she underwent spinal fusion surgery at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London. In a recent photograph with her father Prince Andrew, the shoulder imbalance is practically unnoticeable. Regardless, people with scoliosis live normal lives, both before and after treatment. 

What Happens If You Don’t Fix Scoliosis?

People with a mild case of scoliosis, may ignore the condition because it plays no negative effect on their lifestyle. Here is a comparison of two girls, one with a mild case and the other with mild to severe. Scoliosis severity is determined by the Cobb angle in degrees. This shows the doctor how abnormal the spinal curvature is. Anything less than twenty degrees is considered mild while anything above twenty and under forty is mild to severe. Anything above forty would require surgery regardless of patient choice. Below is a parable of two girls that did not treat their scoliosis that gives a glimpse of what can happen.

 Lidia was a fourteen-year-old girl who was diagnosed with mild scoliosis. The bend was at the lumbar area of the spine and the Cobb angle measured seventeen degrees. Her mother decided that if it didn’t affect her physically or socially there would be no reason to treat her. Lidia is now thirty-one years old and is married with four beautiful children. On occasion she struggles with sciatic pain in her lower back but can deal with it. Overall the result of not treating scoliosis did not impact her life greatly.

Sylvia on the other hand, was diagnosed with mild scoliosis but had a Cobb angle of twenty-seven degrees at age twelve. The scoliosis progressed and reached a max curve of thirty-two degrees at age sixteen. During the summer when she turned eighteen, she registered for a life-guarding course. Finally, when she received her certification a group picture of all the new lifeguards was taken. Sylvia sent the image to her mother anticipating receiving congratulations of some sort. She got the congrats, but her mom also noticed how her shoulders were significantly misaligned.

Final Words

When a parent first gets word that their child has scoliosis, there is no need to panic. It’s common for adolescents to see a slight curvature in the spine, you just want to keep a close eye on it to make sure that it does not worsen. The best would be to get evaluated by someone who specializes in treating scoliosis. They may tell you that the degree if the curve is fine and there is no need for therapy. In other cases, the scoliosis specialist may have you go for an x-ray to make sure that as the child grows it does not become more pronounced. If the curve is indeed abnormal, they might recommend brace or Schroth therapy. If the scoliosis is severe, they may send you for an evaluation to a scoliosis surgeon. Keep in mind that if you are directed to a surgeon only less than 1% get treated with surgery. In a worse case scenario, if surgery is recommended, you are in good company with famous celebrities like Princess Eugenie of York. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about it’s just part of growing up. Sometimes the spinal curvature worsens, while other times it does not. For those who have a straight spine, take a moment to be thankful for a straight set of shoulders.  

“You can play outside for about an hour till supper is ready,” says, a typical Gen-x mom.“I’m in the middle of a game on my phone”, answers the typical Gen-x kid. What’s a caring mom to do? This is a major problem these days. What happened to healthy outdoor play of yesterday?

It’s true that some families are missing back and front yard space for the kids to cavort. Hey, that was true in the olden days as well. If you are of Medicare age, and as a kid, lived in the tough urban areas, then you will remember those stick ball and stoop ball games outside in front of your house. Even if you are fortunate and there are rolling hills and thick lush grass where you live, today’s kids are reluctant to play outside as much as kids used to years ago. The recent phenomena, called the smart phone, has taken kids from the streets and parks to the couch and bed. It would be better to allow your child access to the TV, internet and phone, only after they have done some sport or other activity. Kids sit so much during school it would be a pity to allow more inactivity at home. Remember to join them too if you have time. You may tell me that there are great iPhone exercise programs and smartwatches available to see how much activity is recorded, but I must warn you this is not the answer for our precious children and teens physical health.

As a kid, did you ever get a poke in the back from your mom? Kind of annoying, no? What about the well-intentioned dad, whose own father was a sergeant in the United States Army? This dad is used to being called to “attention” almost every day as a teen by his father. If he slouched in front of his father, he would be called to action immediately. We knew back then that there was some truth to our parent’s criticism of our posture.

Is the poke by the well-intentioned mom or the call to attention by the well-meaning dad effective ways of getting your child to stand up straight? It could be that if there is a close and respectful relationship between parent and child, these reminders could work as signals for the child to change his or her standing position for the better. However, in most cases, these reminders can trigger resentment in the child. “What else am I doing wrong today? Mom or Dad don’t even like the way I stand”. There may be easier and more pleasant ways to make your slouching child stand erect. Let’s investigate further.

What’s causing your child not to stand straight?

From an emotional aspect, the child’s posture can speak volumes. How well is the child dealing with stress at home and at school? Does the child have friends or does the child’s level of self-esteem need a boost? There is something called the “self-validation theory”. This is what happens when the child will adopt a posture based on how he or she is feeling emotionally. For example, standing up tall with shoulders back is a confident posture. Slouching, on the other hand, can be demonstrating either a lack of confidence or a dislike of the fact that the child is taller than the rest of his or her peers, and will stoop in order to make themselves the same height as those around them. Both stances can show others how we are feeling in body language without verbal communication.

Is your child’s posture grade a S or a C?

In the case of correct posture, the C would be could do better in posture mark and S is for a satisfactory posture. The spine should naturally be making an S curve beginning at the base of the neck and ending at the lower back. The C curve is distinctive to those people who have a slouched posture. Their shoulders are forward, and their abdominal muscles have almost no contraction (in order to walk properly, physical therapists stress the importance of holding your stomach muscles in while walking). Regrettably, because of today’s sedentary lifestyles, the C curve has become more and more common.

Let’s examine two types of careers

A fashion model on the runway, will have an S curve posture. A model must walk with ease while looking at the audience. This makes her look more elegant and thinner instantly. Looking straight ahead while walking and even making brief eye contact gives these models a posture that looks perfect. C curve employees who sit at a desk and in front of a computer are slouchers. Although you may think of slouching as being more relaxed, the muscles are working harder and snatching energy from the body in the process. Breathing deeply and fully is so much harder when one is not standing up straight and reduces energy levels. The pressure that is placed on the back due to poor posture can lead to such conditions as pinched nerves, less flexibility, stiffness and even numbness in extremities. So, we see, that strong posture promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Often a girl, who is entering puberty and developing will feel shy about her new figure and try to hide it. As her mother, be extremely careful to wear modest clothing at this sensitive stage, and when you take your daughter shopping do not push her to buy anything that has the tainting of exhibitionism. We are looking for a middle of the road philosophy. When walking, don’t keep the head up or down, just look straight ahead. Showing your daughter that life is deeper than just showing some skin, will make her into a better and straighter human being.

Children with a spinal curve of less than ten degrees

Your child may have a curve that measure less than ten degrees, which medically would not require intervention. Is your child home scot free? Absolutely not, sometimes a slight bending can be a sign of lack of self-confidence or merely a bad habit. Humbleness is an attribute to be admired but monitor your child if it is affecting his or her posture. If a boy or girl is taller than the rest of his or her class, they may not want to stand out. Check to see if you or your husband are straight standers. Children imitate their parents subconsciously.

If you see that your child has the beginnings of a slump, you should check out a way that you will be a good standing example for your child. Positive reinforcement is always the key. On the day that your child is standing tall and straight is the time to compliment them. When you walk together with your child, be an example of a positive walker, try to avoid “sleep walking” (walking as if you are ready to go to sleep). Both of you should be able to move, whether it’s walking, standing, or sitting, with comfort.

Five ideas that the entire family can work on together, making good posture fun and rewarding

1) Whole Body Walking: Walk with ease. How you move is who you are. By your example, your child will learn the importance of walking with awareness. Try practicing a graceful and long stride; walk with your entire body. You should feel the different parts of the body working together (your hamstrings muscles, your tummy muscles and the muscles of your butt). Now start taking longer strides (like the models do). If you are noticing your different muscles working, then you are using them correctly. Your child will be learning gestures and suppleness from you.

2) If You Look Down You Fall Down: Old fashioned book and yoga games can be fun. Join your child in walking and balancing a book on your heads. Your kids will learn how to stand up properly and position their necks and heads in a manner that will stimulate proper posture.

3) Posture from the Ground Up: The foot has four points of contact: heel, mid foot, forefoot and toe. Teach your child about the way his foot works. The correct way of walking is to use the entire foot. You walk, balance and then push off, really feeling your feet as you walk. The child’s weight should be balanced equally between the heels and the balls of both feet. Good balance and stamina will establish great, muscle and brain coordination.

4) Benefits of Walking Barefoot at Home: Going barefoot when possible is advantageous so don’t discourage it. Bare feet are much better than flip-flops. Flip-flops are just as harmful as high heeled shoes which stunt neurological development. The child’s brain receives balance information directly from his feet and shoes.

5) Upgrade Play to Climbing: Remember monkey bars and trees? Climbing involves core stability and strength, both of which encourage good posture. Take your kids bike riding. The way a person needs to sit on a bike to find good balance generates good posture.

We have touched on some of the ways you and your child can have good posture. If you have not seen improvement with the above-mentioned ideas, it might be time to consult with a scoliosis therapist. A session or two with a schroth therapist may be all the help you need if given the right tips and simple exercises. Firm mattresses, taut couches and chairs are some of the household items that are important to keep in mind. However, don’t make their beds and couches too comfy, because you want to see your child active as much as possible. Bedtime should be the time where they unwind and relax in a leisurely way.