While commonly associated with adults and seniors, back pain affects individuals of all ages, especially around back-to-school season. From heavy backpacks to rigorous extracurricular activities, your child may easily develop spinal discomfort within the first week of returning to class. Luckily, there are many ways to alleviate such pain and help your child enjoy a happy, healthy school year. Consider the following back pain relief tips from iSpine Pain Physicians of the Twin Cities, MN, area to get your little one off on the right foot.

3 Back Pain Relief Tips for Back-to-School Season

1. Limit Backpack Weight

While you’re likely proud to know your young pupil is involved in their studies, you may be surprised just how much of a burden they have to carry to succeed. From novels to textbooks, most students are encouraged to bring their books with them to school for reference purposes and back home to do their homework. However, with so many online and virtual reading options on the market today, this system is largely unnecessary. Talk to your child’s teachers about how you can limit their backpack weight, such as by buying a second set of books for home.

2. Ease Into Sports

Your child is probably ecstatic to get back on the soccer field—both for the thrill of the game and the extra hours of socialization such activities afford. However, if they haven’t been practicing regularly or maintaining a fitness regimen throughout the summer, make sure they don’t hit the ground running when school starts. Muscle tension or injuries could result in chronic back pain and are best avoided by stretching before exercising and slowly increasing the intensity with each practice. 

3. Be Careful When Moving

For some parents, this back-to-school season marks the end of their child’s standard school years and the beginning of their college career. If you’re helping them move into a dorm or apartment, remember to stretch beforehand and lift from the legs—not the back—when handling heavy items. If you can, hire a professional moving company to minimize the strenuous work and spend more time getting your freshman settled in.

Back-to-school season can be a hectic time for students and parents alike, but it can be a pain-free experience with a bit of help from a back pain specialist. That’s why iSpine Pain Physicians is happy to help their patients prevent and manage their unique discomforts. For more information on their services, visit their website. You can also call (763) 201-8191 to schedule an appointment at any of their Twin Cities’ locations.