Subscribe Feed (RSS)Yes Virginia Homework Can Cause Headaches!
October 6th, 2010 by admin | Filed under Uncategorized.Several years ago a precocious 4th grader named Virginia asked of me “does homework give you headaches?” A smile spread across my face as my mind pondered the consequences of what she might do with this information.
I would certainly hear from an angry parent if at home Virginia proclaimed, “Mother my doctor has advised me against doing homework”.
I didn’t answer her question then however, I’d like to take this opportunity years later to answer that little girl’s question now, “Yes Virginia I had experienced several headaches due to homework”.
In retrospect, as a Chiropractor I now know that my particular headaches were caused by poor ergonomics.
There are 7 bones in a normal neck. Between the bones are 6 weight bearing shock absorbers called discs. Both of these components are arranged in a curve with the open part of the curve pointing towards the back. This is called a lordosis or lordotic curve.
The brain communicates with the body by sending nerves out from the spinal cord to the body through the holes formed between these discs and the bones on both sides of the spine. These holes are called intervertebral foramen or IVF for short.
When the neck’s lordosis is maintained properly the communication between the brain and the body through these IVF is uninterrupted and you are normal.
If the lordosis is diminished then the dimensions of the IVF will change which decreases the flow of nervous energy through the nerves that pass through the IVF. This is akin to the way the flow of water in a garden hose decreases when you kink the hose. One of several ways that this manifests itself is as a head ache.
How do you prevent this? The simple answer is change the way you study! Get yourself a book holder (not one of those little wiry frame types) but a large solid one. Remember a little book holder will only hold little books but a big book holder will hold both large and small books and is therefore a better value.
Some models of book holders actually have page holders, can double as a clipboard and will collapse into a small size that fits in your backpack such as the Easy Reader available exclusively at the UOG Book Store or the Rogue Scholar available in the mall book stores. Another component is the height ratio between the table your book holder is on and the height of the seat you use.
This is called the rule of 90 and it states that when performing a task such as typing on a computer or writing a paper your ankles, knees, waist, elbows, and the angle formed between your head and your neck must remain at a 90 degree angle.
If that is not possible then you must change the ratio between the chair and table height with either an adjustable height or get a different height table. In so doing the lordotic curve of the neck is maintained and head aches are avoided.
Should all the above fail to provide relief to your malady then you should consult your friendly neighborhood Chiropractor. Guam has several highly competent Chiropractors who can help you with your problems and they can refer you to other specialist if they cannot.
Dr of Chiropractic, Former Navy. From Guam.
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