Chiropractic Q&A, Part 3

Thanks for submitting your questions for Dr. Tyler! Here is the final installment of our chiropractic Q&A (also check out part 1 and part 2).

You mentioned that sleeping on your stomach is a big no-no. What about for kids? Is there an age where sleeping on your stomach becomes bad?

Sleeping on your stomach is an incredible no-no as an adult. Imagine sitting in a conference for 6-8 hours...way off in a distant wing. Your head is cranked to the left (or right) for the entire 6-8 hours. You can imagine how painful that would be. It's no different for adults sleeping on their stomachs. It also creates a hyperlordotic lumbar curve (a curve that is too big).

Kids are different. The medical community recommends having children lay on their back to avoid Crib Death or SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). We didn't follow that rule at my home. I look at everything from a physiological perspective. A child isn't born with natural curves in their spine. They develop as certain milestones occur. Lying on their stomach helps create a good lumbar (low back) curve. As they learn to crawl, and look up while they are crawling, they are forming a nice cervical (neck) curve. So, a quick bit of advice for parents: Allow your child to crawl as much as possible. They will learn to walk on their own, when their bodies are ready to do so. Don't encourage early walking; it prevents their neck curves from developing properly. For that matter, it may be cute to prop your child up into the corner of your sofa before they are able to sit up on their own, but don't do it! It compresses the middle back and creates the ever-so-common slouching posture teenagers have. Bumbo seats are also very bad on an infant's back. Please, allow your child to sit up when they are good and ready.

Going back to stomach sleeping for children. They naturally outgrow it. My daughter is almost 3. She tends to start out on her stomach, but a few hours into her sleep, she has already rolled to her side, or even her back. The body is smart. It is fully capable of taking care of itself. A child's body knows when enough is enough. Trust the fact that God created our bodies way smarter than any physician (or chiropractor!) could. Listen to it!

Any tips to unlearn bad posture? How should my work desk be set up for ideal posture? What about when I'm at home on the couch? Do I have to sit up straight all the time??

I thought it would be easier to answer this one via video:

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