Last August, we sent out information about posture in school and backpack awareness.  This month, our therapists have been spending a lot of time in the school setting.  We can't help but notice that poor posture related to inappropriate desks/chairs as well as heavy or oversized bakcpacks are a common theme. Therefore, we would like to share again with our continued and new readers some helpful tips in this area.

 

Tips to Improve Your Child's Posture:

If you have been working on your child's posture and do not see improvement or if your child complains of pain or seems unable to sit still for periods of time, they may have some underlying muscle tightness or weakness that makes a good, neutral posture very difficult to achieve.  If you suspect this, consult with your therapist or your pediatrician if your child does not yet receive physical therapy. 

 

Tips for Backpack Use and Wear:

• Choose a backpack that has wide, padded shoulder straps, which allow for better distribution of weight than thin straps.
• Encourage your child to always use both shoulder straps when wearing their backpack.  This will prevent one shoulder from experiencing wear and tear from accepting the entire weight of the backpack and will also prevent asymmetrical trunk muscle recruitment.
• Choose a backpack that has a waist strap and/or chest strap.  This gives extra support and helps to unweight some of the load directly from the shoulders and back.
• Different resources vary slightly on the ideal weight of the backpack. The general consensus is that your child's backpack should preferably weigh around 5-10% of their body weight and definitely should not exceed 15% of their body weight.
• Choose a backpack that is padded in the area that will be against your child's back.  This will help to prevent sharp edges of books or other objects from pushing into your child's back.
• Make sure your child's backpack does not hang down below their waist while it is on.  This places even more stress on the shoulders and back and causes a posterior force that your child will most likely counteract by rounding their shoulders forward and bending forward at the waist.

To find out more about backpack safety, you can visit this website. 

 

 

Sensory integration is the normal neurological process of how our body organizes sensations for our use in everyday life.  We receive sensations from our external environment as well as from our own body.  These sensations are then interpreted by our brain, which organizes purposeful responses to these sensations.  In a more succinct description, we organize sensation for use.  We are constantly receiving sensory input both from our environment and from our own body throughout the day; however, a person with intact sensory processing has the ability to selectively attend to important information and modify their behavior in order to successfully attend to and function according to environmental demands placed upon them.  That being said, most of us could name five senses: vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch; however, according to A. Jean Ayres an occupational therapist, who developed sensory integration theory, the fundamental sensory systems include: tactile, vestibular and proprioception.
 
Hippotherapy is a physical, occupational or speech therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement as part of an integrated intervention program to achieve functional outcomes.  Equine movement provides multi-dimensional movement, which is variable, rhythmic and repetitive.  The horse provides a dynamic base of support as a means of increasing trunk strength, postural control, balance, building overall postural strength and endurance, weight bearing and motor planning. 
 
Equine movement also offers well-modulated sensory input to vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, visual, auditory and olfactory channels.  The effects of equine movement on postural control, sensory systems and motor planning can be used to facilitate coordination and timing, grading responses, sensory integration and attention.  Equine movement can be used to facilitate the neurophysiologic systems that support our functional daily living skills.
 
The equine environment and movement of the horse provide a unique platform for improving psychological function through the development of a social-emotional bond between the rider and the horse.  The rider may experience elevated confidence, motivation and self-esteem, which are hoped to generalize to other contexts. 
 

From a musculoskeletal viewpoint, the horse's movement mimics the human gait and can be used as a treatment strategy for improving functional mobility skills.
 
From the sensory integration perspective, the horse's movement also provides a multi-sensory environment through providing the rider with constant sensory input through vestibular, visual, tactile and proprioceptive channels.  Proprioceptive input refers to the sensory input and feedback that tell us about body position and movement.  Tactile input is the sensory input we get through touch that gives us the ability to learn from our environment.  Tactile input is very important for developing a sense of comfort with various textures, developing fine motor skills, and developing body awareness.  Vestibular input refers to sensory input of movement, balance and head position.  Vestibular input is important for developing balance, coordination, attention and being secure with movement.
 
Thus, the dynamic (meaning fluid and constantly changing) movement can be graded to accommodate to each riders' sensory needs.  For example, sensory input can be increased to provide a saturated experience for calming their nervous system.  The rider continuously responds and adapts to a changing environment that encourages adaptive behaviors to allow them to achieve and maintain appropriate arousal.