10 Simple Things to Prevent Injury and Disease
Injuries and the disease process usually begin during childhood and if recognized early enough can be prevented. However, children have a hard time recognizing when their bodies are not functioning properly because pain does not last long and the disease process may be too early to show any symptoms. Learning to recognize when something is wrong with our bodies will lead to a longer, healthier life with maximal function. When we wait for an injury to limit our ability to function or for a disease to show symptoms we are practicing sick care – not health care. Health care is recognizing a problem or a potential problem and eliminating it before pain and symptoms become present. Here is a list of 10 simple things that your child can do to help them identify injury or illness:- Look in the mirror to see if one shoulder or one hip is higher than the other – This may indicate scoliosis which can increase the chance of injuries, restrict lung and possibly heart function.
- Is their back pack more than 15% of their body weight – Heavy back packs are one the main causes of lower back pain later in life.
- Look at the bottom of your child’s feet – Recognizing flat feet and getting the proper orthotics will prevent a future filled with feet, ankle, knee, hip and back pain.
- Does your child exercise – Exercising is extremely important for our health but proper exercise is more important. Make sure that your child learns to exercise or weight lift from a licensed professional to help reduce the chance of a serious injury.
- Start a stretching routine – Proper flexibility leads to maximal athletic performance and improved daily function. Learning a quick proper stretching routine will help to get the best use out of your body. Noticing imbalances or muscle tightness when stretching may be a sign that treatment is needed to improve flexibility and decrease chances of injury.
- Does your child have healthy bowel movements – Bowel movements should be a solid consistency at least one to two times per day. Constipation produces a toxic internal environment when untreated can cause many diseases later in life.
- Does your child eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day – There is no vitamin that can replace the nutrients that we get from eating a proper diet rich in a variety of fruits, vegetables and lean meats.
- Does your child eat mainly canned, cooked or processed foods – These processes of food preparation destroy food enzymes which play a vital role in digestion and preventing chronic degenerative disease. Stomach pain or bloating after eating may indicate poor digestion which can be corrected in our office with specific enzyme therapy.
- Is your child a vegan or not getting enough sunlight – These are both ways to decrease amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been proven to cause a long list of many diseases.
- Has your child been in an automobile accident – This may be the beginning of the injury process. If involved in a trauma or automobile accident it is best to be examined with or without symptoms. Remember that kids are resilient and heal quickly so they may not feel much pain. However, for their safety an examination should be done and treatment if necessary to prevent future injuries.
Contact Dr Todd Rodman today to find out how we can help prevent injury and disease.
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