It’s that time of year! Back to school! With the kids heading back to the classroom this month, I felt it was a great opportunity to discuss a few back-to-school tips. LIGHTEN THE LOAD First, let’s look at backpacks. Have you ever moved your child’s backpack and wondered what the heck they have in there? I know I have! A backpack that is too heavy for your child can have some unwanted effects such as back pain, shoulder pain, numbness and tingling, and poor posture. To avoid these symptoms it is recommend that a backpack weigh no more than 10-15 percent of a child’s body weight. Other things to look for in a backpack should be: Wide, padded shoulder straps Chest and waist belts to help distr
It is important to recognize the difference between injury-related pain and generalized soreness that is associated with an increase in activity. When it comes to physical therapy, our goal is to increase range of motion as well as strength in order to have better motion and function. However, there will be some generalized soreness that accompanies an increase in physical activity. Because the area already having pain, generalized muscle soreness can sometimes masquerade as pain resulting from your injury. It is important to be able to differentiate between the two. In fact, moving a muscle or joint that has general soreness can actually help to reduce the overall effect. Normal muscle sore
