For Those Of You Who've Been Doing This For Years... How's Your Back??

[LeslieG]

I am only 26 years old and have been doing daycare for about 3 years and I'm already having issues with my back. I feel like I am constantly going to the chiropractor!!.. Just had to make another appointment for this evening.

I was talking to a woman at the park the other day who had been doing daycare/working with kids for 25+ years and one of the first things she told me was that her back is completely shot.... this concerns me, especially since my back is already giving me problems.

For those of you who have been doing daycare a long time, has it caused you to have problems with your back? Do you have any advice on how to avoid having problems with your back?

Thanks!!

[playground1]

Not good, but most of it has to do with my giving birth to 4 kids. I was advised to keep my weight down, lift and carry properly and not carry the kids around too much. Of course exercise like swimming helps too. Basically stay fit.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

Fine, but oh, my aching knees! Going down the stairs in the morning sounds like stepping on bubble wrap!

[melilley]

I've been doing dc for over 15 years and my back is fine. Every once in a while, it hurts, but not often.

My head hurts a lot though. ::

[Annalee]

I am only 26 years old and have been doing daycare for about 3 years and I'm already having issues with my back. I feel like I am constantly going to the chiropractor!!.. Just had to make another appointment for this evening.

I was talking to a woman at the park the other day who had been doing daycare/working with kids for 25+ years and one of the first things she told me was that her back is completely shot.... this concerns me, especially since my back is already giving me problems.

For those of you who have been doing daycare a long time, has it caused you to have problems with your back? Do you have any advice on how to avoid having problems with your back?

Thanks!!

I am 47 and thankfully, no major health issues including no back problems. I encourage my daycare kids to do many things for themselves to avoid the lifting...I hold their hands rather than pick up all the time. My mom is 65 and she is fairly "spunky" as well....We have worked together of 20 plus years. BUT my great grandmother passed away this year at the age of 103 so I think it is in our gene pool. The men aren't that blessed so my brothers tell me all the time that mom and I are gonna be around forever! ::

[SignMeUp]

I started noticing back problems about one year after I started my childcare. But I'm still going 30+ years later; I'm just more careful about noticing when I have a problem. That helps me to not get into serious pain.
Do you have lower back, or upper back/neck issues?

[LeslieG]

I started noticing back problems about one year after I started my childcare. But I'm still going 30+ years later; I'm just more careful about noticing when I have a problem. That helps me to not get into serious pain.
Do you have lower back, or upper back/neck issues?

Mainly my mid/upper back and neck. I probably need to work on strengthening my core b/c I know it's weak.

[KiddieCahoots]

I've had back issues. I can usually tell by the slight twinge I get in my back, when shaving my legs in the shower, or bending down without using my legs, as an indicator that I have to watch it.
My doctor says it's all about strengthening the stomach muscles, to help align the back up. Probably the case with a lot of moms.
I pulled my back out, after the birth of my second. In bed for a week on pain med's....yadda....yadda.... The one thing that is a life saver for me now, that I used then is a stomach brace. It's Velcro and wraps around your waist. It's a little uncomfortable, but helps my back soooo..... much.

[childcaremom]

My back is fine but my knees bothered me. I really have to be mindful of how I was moving and or resting when I was on the ground. They started bothering me about a year in.

My last day was Friday and already they feel better.

[SignMeUp]

Mainly my mid/upper back and neck. I probably need to work on strengthening my core b/c I know it's weak.

Mine too. My doctor agrees with me that it's because I spend a long work day slightly bent over :: If you think about it, even if you get down to a kid level, you bend over a bit to serve food at child-size tables or do crafts, to zip coats, to talk to kids, etc. And I don't think it would be much easier on me if I spent the day walking in a crouched position ::

So there are a few things that I do:

Consciously straighten or do a slight back bend once in a while. Do not stretch hard or over-do it. It's more just to equalize your movement.

Roll up a towel (not too thick, I would say my roll is maybe 5" diameter) and lay on the floor or on your bed, with the towel positioned under your back and just relax. Some days this is my only break :: ::
Use the towel both vertically and horizontally -- horizontally you can move it to different points along your spine. Again, just relax against it - do not over-bend. When you have it vertically (parallel to spine) your arms should be stretched outward. When you have it horizontally, your arms should be at your side. Just relax and lay there for up to fifteen minutes -- but ease into it at first because your body is not used to this initially. I only did about 3-4 minutes at first before my back told me to get up

There's another exercise too, but it's harder to explain. I'll try: Lay on one side, curled slightly, arms together, stretched out. Slooowly raise the upper-most arm and bring it as far as you can to the opposite side. The trick to this one is that you are not supposed to move your hip at all. Only your arm. Some people can bring that arm all the way flat to the other side, and some cannot -- this is not important. Do not overstretch; just do it to your own capability. You will be able to go a little further with time though. After you do this, lay on the other side and repeat. I usually do each side twice and I can tell that I have more flexibility the second time around

The second two exercises were brought to you by my most excellent physical therapist, who helped me after a small surgery a while back. And the surgery was nothing to do with my back - he just noticed that I had a problem there and gave me these simple things to do. I call the towel roll my "relaxing time" because I literally never just lay down and do nothing. Unless I'm going to bed of course ::

Hope it helps you some I (literally) feel your pain

[Blackcat31]

I've been in this line of work now for a couple of decades and I have no back issues.

I've had knee surgery before but in my late teens and obviously not daycare related.

I NEVER walk around holding a child. I will hold them but more on the ground..kwim? I will sit and they are all free to sit on me but I won't walk around holding a child...especially a child who is capable of walking.

I also sit to hold babies that need to be fed. I keep good posture while doing so but sit in a small child sized chair. (I have no adult furniture here )

I also never bend over a child but instead get down on my knees as if I am the same height. When serving foods, we do it family style here so I am sitting and not needing to bend over them.

I've never been to a chiropractor and don't plan on it... so hopefully I won't have to.

Hoping you are able to find some relief for your back.... :hug:

[Play Care]

I do not have any back problems due to day care. Like Black Cat I do not carry kids, if I do need to lift a child I do so appropriately, etc. I do try to keep myself active through out the day and keep my weight right for my size.

I tend to take stress in my neck/shoulders but that's always been the case. I'm going for a massage on Friday

[daycare]

I've been in this line of work now for a couple of decades and I have no back issues.

I've had knee surgery before but in my late teens and obviously not daycare related.

I NEVER walk around holding a child. I will hold them but more on the ground..kwim? I will sit and they are all free to sit on me but I won't walk around holding a child...especially a child who is capable of walking.

I also sit to hold babies that need to be fed. I keep good posture while doing so but sit in a small child sized chair. (I have no adult furniture here )

I also never bend over a child but instead get down on my knees as if I am the same height. When serving foods, we do it family style here so I am sitting and not needing to bend over them.

I've never been to a chiropractor and don't plan on it... so hopefully I won't have to.

Hoping you are able to find some relief for your back.... :hug:

ditto on the not walking around with kids. I don't walk around with kids and I don't let my staff either. It's a safety issue. What if you fall while holding them? Plus, I would imagine it would create other issues to our body over time.

I workout every day. I am 40. I don't have any body issues, health issues, I am just crazy. Daycare does that to ya.

How is the bed that you are sleeping in?

Honestly, I hate the Chrio. I would never let one touch me...

[TwinKristi]

I have had back issues before doing childcare so it hasn't created any problems but I'm sure it won't help. I have a bulging disc in my back near my hips. I believe it's from a car accident I was in back in 2010. I hurt my shoulder and back pretty bad and didn't have health insurance so I was limited on treatment until the settlement which wasn't much in the big picture after paying the hospital bills and such. I still have issues with my shoulder. I went to the dr for kidney pain and was sent to the hospital for a cat scan thinking I had a kidney stone but it was a bulging disc. :-( I've managed to get through with only a few trips to the chiro when it gets really bad and a muscle relaxer when I feel it coming on. I will probably require surgery on my shoulder and back eventually.
I also had 6 kids, 3 in a relatively short period of time, and am overweight. I'm sure that doesn't help my back at all and I have very little core strength. <sigh>

[e.j.]

I used to have back problems when I was younger, before doing day care. At least once a year, my back would go out and I couldn't stand or walk for about a week. I sneezed once and threw it out. It was so bad, I had to crawl on my hands and knees anytime I had to use the bathroom! When I had my first child, my dr found a cyst on my ovary and removed it. I haven't had a problem since then (23 years ago) and I've been doing day care for almost 19 years now.