Dr. Johnson’s “Back” in School Tips

Posted On: September 10, 2013

The summer flew by, and I am happy to say that both of North Shore Spinal & Sports Rehabilitation Clinics helped a lot of people achieve their fitness goals. It was good to see patients I haven’t seen in awhile come in and get help. From the snowbirds to the college kids it was really nice to see many of them.

Now that school is starting, parents need to be aware of all the postural strain their kids are facing. Backpacks, books, computers and seemingly endless hours of kids sitting in school or studying combine to cause a lot of spinal problems in children.

Parents can have a positive influence in helping their children survive school. I have compiled a list of ways parents can help their kids get through the postural strains of school.

The School Postural Survival List

Encourage children to sit up with good posture by practicing good posture
Make sure they have a proper fitting back pack and they use both straps
Limit the load they take to and from school any way possible
Have set study times with scheduled get up and move about breaks
Make sure they have a properly set up computer station
Limit videogame and cell phone use
Encourage children to exercise in an upright fashion (elliptical, running and walking)
Don’t ignore painful spinal symptoms – get them help with a spine care specialist
Try and make sure they get enough sleep
Encourage play

The list is not exhaustive but it is a good start. When children have postural spinal pain it is often easy to treat, but like anything it is better if it can be prevented. Our clinics in Highland Park and Lake Bluff specialize in helping children with spinal pain. If you need our help, please don’t hesitate to call.

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North Shore, Dr. J and the staff were great. I started out with a pinched cervical nerve which was causing extreme pain and numbness in my arm. Surgery had been ruled out by the neurosurgeon after an MRI. My physical recommended a regimen of physical therapy which I undertook with NorthShore in November. At that time I had consistent pain in the range of 8-9 out of 10. I had trouble sleeping, driving and performing most normal daily activities due to the constant pain. I have now been through two series of physical therapy sessions with North Shore over a couple of months and the pain and numbness are completely gone. Based on my experience I would highly recommend North Shore for physical therapy treatment and the staff is extremely friendly and helpful as a bonus! Jon Heintzelman

Jonathan Heintzelman

All aspects of the rehab program were done with professionalism. Intake evaluation, exercise program, massage therapy and exit evaluation were all excellent and yielded excellent results for me. All of the staff are friendly and efficient. Dr. Johnson, Jeannette, Cyprian and Mary are friendly and make an otherwise difficult experience much more tolerable. I have gone to them on two occasions over the last several years for different injuries and, in both instances, my problems were resolved. I highly recommend them.

Lee Eddy

I was a patient 6 years ago, with lower back pain and herniation. My PT was excellent and I was back to exercise and resolution of pain and herniation. Recently I have had hip pain and and tingling down my leg. My evaluation with DR Johnson was very thorough and spot on. The PT with Dre was incredible. I am now pain free with a resolution of the tingling as well. I will definitely return for any future problems that may arise!

Barbara Bank