Back to school & work

Settling back into work and school after a nice summer can take some time as you find your groove again. Adjusting to a new routine can bring its own challenges and stress. Add poorly fitted backpacks and poor posture, such as spending prolonged periods in uncomfortable positions at work or school, and sometimes it can feel like a never-ending cycle of body aches, tightness, headaches, and overall exhaustion.

While it is normal to feel some stress at the beginning of a new schedule, new grade, or new job, ongoing stress can leave your body feeling like it is stuck in “fight or flight” mode. This stress response involves the sympathetic nervous system and can leave us feeling tense, overwhelmed, or constantly “switched on.”

Supporting your nervous system involves more than one approach. Lifestyle changes, proper ergonomic positioning, regular movement, and neuro-mechanical evidence based chiropractic care can support your overall wellbeing and help your body better adapt to the physical and emotional demands of a changing routine.

Why Does it Matter?

The spine has natural curves that help support neutral alignment and efficient movement. It also protects the spinal cord, which is the main pathway through which the brain communicates with the rest of the body.

The curvatures within your spine play an important role in neutral posture and have natural ranges that vary from person to person. This means a neutral position will not look exactly the same for everyone. Finding and aiming for a neutral position that is appropriate for your body can help support comfortable posture, movement and better neurological function.

With improper backpack positioning and poor ergonomics, the body may adjust and compensate for the additional or uneven load. This can temporarily change the position and movement of the spine.

With improper backpack positioning, kids may lean further forward to compensate for the load, which can contribute to changes in pelvic positioning. Add prolonged periods of looking down at a phone or device, and this can also encourage a forward head posture, commonly referred to as “text neck.”

Similar postural changes can also be seen in adults working at desks and computers, particularly when sitting for several hours at a time. Prolonged slouching can encourage rounded shoulders and a forward head posture, especially when the workstation is not positioned appropriately for the individual.

These prolonged postural changes can place additional mechanical stress on the muscles, joints, and other tissues around the spine. The spine protects the spinal cord and is closely connected with the nervous system, so maintaining healthy spinal movement and function is an important part of overall neuro - musculoskeletal health. As chiropractors, we focus on how the spine moves and functions how it influences how the body functions as a whole. This is why spinal function forms an important part of our approach to care.

Biomechanical estimates suggest that as the head moves forward from a neutral position, the mechanical load on the neck can increase. Some estimates suggest an additional 2–6 kg of load with each inch of forward head positioning. This helps show why prolonged forward head posture can place additional demands on the neck and surrounding tissues.

What the Research Shows...

Children with poor posture may experience issues with balance, changes in gait, and difficulty focusing. These factors can potentially contribute to challenges such as falls, difficulty at school, and decreased participation or performance in after-school activities.

In the workplace, poor posture and prolonged sitting can contribute to lower back and shoulder discomfort, as well as other musculoskeletal complaints. Some research has also found associations between posture, sedentary behaviour, and measures of anxiety and depression.

Overall, these factors can contribute to decreased performance at work, feelings of burnout, and a reduced ability or desire to participate in activities outside of work.

While these are not ideal outcomes, there are steps you can take today and moving forward to help minimise their impact on you and your family.

What You Can Do to Help Decrease These Outcomes...

Check your child’s backpack. Make sure there are two straps that are wide and padded. The straps should be adjusted so the backpack fits comfortably and close to the child’s back. As a general guideline, aim to keep the backpack to no more than around 10% of your child’s body weight.

If it is heavier, try taking out unnecessary items or, where possible, have your child carry only the books they need for that part of the day. A chest or waist strap can also help keep the backpack secure and distribute the load more comfortably.

If you or your child sits at a desk for much of the day, look at the ergonomics of the work or study environment. Ideally, both feet should be supported by the floor or a footrest, with the thighs roughly parallel to the floor and the elbows comfortably positioned at around a 90-degree angle.

The laptop or computer screen should be positioned around eye level and at a comfortable viewing distance. This can reduce the need to repeatedly look down or crane the neck forward.

Take time to stand up, move around, and walk a few steps throughout the working day. Aim to change position approximately every 30–40 minutes. If you have a standing desk, alternate between sitting and standing regularly, with around every hour being a useful reminder to change position.

These small changes can make a significant difference when it comes to posture, comfort, and how your body feels throughout the day.

Alongside these lifestyle changes, taking the time to have your spine checked can help you better understand how your body is moving and functioning and identify areas that may be contributing to discomfort. Understanding what your body needs can be a positive step towards feeling and functioning better throughout your day.

Get Your Spine Checked

Here at Chiropractix, we provide individualised neuro - mechanical based chiropractic care for you and your family. We take an in-depth look at your health history, current concerns, spinal position, movement, and function to build a clearer picture of what may be going on.

This helps us look beyond the symptoms to better understand the factors that may be contributing to the root of your concerns and provide a whole-body approach to care.

If you or someone you know has experienced any of the issues discussed above, either in the past or currently, having your spine checked can be a positive step towards better understanding your body and supporting your health and wellbeing moving forward.

by Dr. Madison Meek, DC (Doctor of Chiropractic)

Citations

Brzęk A, Wysocka-Bochenek R, Sołtys J. Children with abnormal body weight dealing with the load of school backpack-is there a need to modify WHO recommendations? A cross sectional study. PeerJ. 2025 Jun 2;13:e19353. doi: 10.7717/peerj.19353. PMID: 40475299; PMCID: PMC12139613.

Hussein Youssef, Onur Aydoǧdu, Aysel Yildiz,Altered body balance and plantar pressure distribution in young adults with forward head posture,Journal of Orthopaedics,Volume 59,2025,Pages 68-75,ISSN 0972-978X,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jor.2024.07.016.

Muir JM. Chiropractic management of a patient with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Chiropr Med. 2012 Sep;11(3):221-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2011.10.009. PMID: 23449647; PMCID: PMC3437345.

Pavan Vasoya. Abstracts for IJOEM (2026). Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 30(Suppl 1), S1-S50. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijoem.ijoem_489_25

Ross Hauser, MD. Forward head posture symptoms and complications - hauser neck center Fort Myers. Forward head posture symptoms and complications - Hauser Neck Center Fort Myers -. (2025, October 24). https://caringmedical.com/prolotherapy-news/forward-head-posture-symptoms-and-complications-caring-medical-fort-myers/