Teaching can be a tough, but rewarding profession. The job itself requires a lot of physical strength due to the prolonged periods of sitting and standing, crouching and bending down to tables made for smaller children, carrying stacks of paper and heavy books, as well as the now added stress of teaching over an online platform due to the current COVID-19 situation that has left teachers and students spending more time sitting down. Teachers also experience quite a lot of mental stress – taking care of up to 30 kids at once, constantly working before and after school hours to meet marking and lesson planning deadlines, as well as making sure each student is well behaved.
Since day one, our Frankston practice (as well as our other practices has been seeing and helping teachers with a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, with the most common ones including:
Long periods of sitting (slouching over laptops or test papers)
Carrying heavy books and papers
Crouching down to help young students, or having to use bathrooms and furniture that is too small for fully grown adults
The good news is that teachers may benefit from Chiropractic care in several ways including:
Decreased pain and stiffness
Improved posture
Increased range of motion
Increase in cognitive function, sleep and mood
Incorporating our advice into their work activities to better their ergonomics
Can Chiropractic care help teachers? How?
Absolutely, Chiropractors may be able to help teachers with a variety of different complaints, most commonly being sore necks and shoulders, headaches and low back soreness. Chiropractors may be able to help with the above conditions and more, by helping to encourage and maintain good posture, which in turn can help your body functioning, feeling and moving at its optimum level.
After your first thorough initial consultation, your Chiropractor will come up with a tailored care plan and their recommendations to help you reach your own individual health goals.
Your Chiropractic care plan may include:
Manual adjustments
Low force adjustments
Soft tissue techniques
Exercises and stretches
Ergonomic advice
And more!
What are the ongoing benefits of Chiropractic care for teachers?
As teachers commonly work overtime, grade student work and lesson plan weekly on top of their normal in-classroom duties, there’s no doubt that sleep is being lost, sleep patterns may be poor, stress levels can be high and posture may suffer. But the good news is that Chiropractic may also help improve your mental health. Once your physical pain, stiffness and headaches subside, your energy levels are no longer being drained. This in turn leads to being more productive, improved sleep, less stress and ultimately improved mood.
Ongoing physical benefits stem from your improved posture, which helps to keep the body in its optimal position, this allowing your joints, nerves and muscles to work in harmony.
What are some ways teachers can look after their physical and mental health between adjustments?
There are several good ways that teachers can help maintain and improve their physical and mental health between Chiropractic adjustments. Some good habits to start adding into your daily/weekly routine include:
Drink enough water (aiming for around 2L per day)
Plan your days out for the week (including time for lesson planning, grading and most importantly time for you to rest and engage in some of your own hobbies that you enjoy)
Stay active (when your day is mostly sedentary, it’s a good idea to go for a short two minute walk every hour or so to clear your mind and keep your body mobile)
Total Health 
