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Connected Paediatrics

Connected Paediatrics Weekly: Stand up straight! Or don’t

Published 6 months ago • 2 min read

Hi Reader

Dad Joke: What do you call a snowman with a six-pack? The abdominal snow man!

Song of the Week: Last Rickmas - Fl_sh​

“Stand up straight so Mike can have a look at you.”

I hear this a lot … usually from a parent who has just fought their way through afternoon traffic for their child’s appointment. The idea being that they want their child to show me their “posture”.

But I know, as do you, that this “standing up straight” is just a performance, there is no way junior is standing like that when no one is watching. And besides, we’ve already got way more important information from watching him sit in reception, how he got up, how he walked into the room and the position he chose to make himself comfortable.

That’s because we know that posture is actually a sensori-motor output instead of a position. How children sit, stand, wait, play, lean and fidget is the result of how well their system is coping.

Just about any child can "stand up straight" for 20 seconds…but it’s after those 20 seconds that counts. How well are they integrating all that sensory input, how quick and available are their core muscles to brace them and are there any retained reflexes that they are fighting against to maintain themselves in space?

So…If standing up straight for 20 seconds doesn’t tell me what I need to know then what am I after? I am glad you asked…for me it’s all about…variability!

I want to see them move from sitting to standing, when they play with toys on the ground can they very their position depending on the needs of the environment or are they attempting to move stuff around to suit the one posture they are comfortable with. What happens when I add load from one side or change the sensory input…that’s what I want to know…for me that’s posture…that’s adaptability.

And it’s hugely valuable to test.

For me, posture is not a position to fix, rather it is the feedback I am getting from the nervous system and it’s what I measure to check the change I am creating in the nervous system.

It’s not a target.

It’s the report card.

Merry Christmas!

Mike

PS. About our 2026 seminars - here are the dates we have confirmed so far. We'll keep you posted on seminars as we add new dates.

  • 28 Feb & 1 Mar - Wales, UK (Paeds in Motion 2, Toddlers to Teen 2-16yrs) Contact Michelle Thomas michellebushell3@hotmail.com to book this seminar.
  • 7 & 8 Mar - Chester, UK (Paeds in Motion 1, Early Movers 0-2yrs)
  • 21 & 22 Mar - Emmen, Netherlands (Paeds in Motion 2, Toddlers to Teens 2-16yrs)
  • 6 & 7 Jun - Auckland, New Zealand (Watch this space)
  • 3 & 4 Oct - Edinburgh, Scotland (Paeds in Motion 1, EarlyMovers 0-2yrs)
  • 10 & 11 Oct - Cork, Ireland (Cranial Kinetics for Kids)

Connected Paediatrics

This newsletter is for you if you are a chiropractor who enjoys treating paediatric patients.

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