FEATURE STORY
Healthy Back to School

BREAKING NEWS
Omega-3s Strengthen Bones

CHECKLIST
Tips for Back to School

COOKING CORNER
Cranberry Apple Walnut Muffins

VITAMINS & HERBS
Calcium Builds Bones

HERBAL REMEDIES
Eleuthero for Immunity

EVERYDAY ANSWERS
Healthy Snacks for the Lunch Pack

More Health Info & Answers

Get kids in gear for school activities
Healthy Back to School

Kids are headed back to school; it’s as sure a sign that fall is in the air as the leaves turning color. Autumn also means more demanding schedules for all kids—kindergarteners and high school students alike. Instill healthy routines in September to help keep your child robust throughout the school year.

Salute the sandman
In addition to its negative effects on overall health, lack of sleep has been found to be a major factor in poor school performance and behavioral problems. Establish a consistent sleep routine for the school year with set bedtimes. Younger children may need to adjust to going to bed earlier, so incrementally move bedtime back by 10 to 15 minutes over the course of the first week of school.

Make that morning meal mandatory
It's widely held that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies show that children who regularly eat breakfast score better on standardized tests, experience fewer behavioral problems, and are less hyperactive than children who miss breakfast. Serve kids a healthy morning meal of whole-grain cereals, bagels, toast, or pancakes with fruit, cheese, and nut butters. In a time crunch, have them grab a granola or energy bar on their way out the door.

Lighten the load
Books, notebooks, calendars, and lunchboxes weigh down your child’s bulging backpack. This burgeoning weight can cause some undue harm to your child’s still-growing body. To minimize the effects, look for a pack with wide padded shoulder straps and a padded back that sits squarely on your child’s back. Make sure your child wears both straps: wearing the pack slung over one shoulder creates misalignment that causes muscle strain. Pack light and place the heaviest objects in the middle of the pack. Rolling backpacks are an option for kids who walk to school or to the bus; however, these can be awkward if your child has a lot of steps to manage.

Growing athletes
Kids not only need help adjusting to a school schedule after the summer but also the different demands school sports can make on their bodies. Osgood-Schlatter is the one of the most common causes of knee pain in young athletes. The disease is a form of osteochondrosis, a disease of the growth center at the end of long bones. It occurs in adolescence, most commonly among 10- to 15-year-old boys, and is often the result of rapid growth combined with competitive sports that overstress the knee joint. The patellar tendon, which attaches the kneecap to the tibia, is sometimes strained and partially torn from the bone by the powerful quadriceps muscles. This tearing, called avulsion, may be extremely painful and is sometimes disabling. It may occur in one or both knees. The knee is usually tender to pressure at the point where the large tendon from the kneecap attaches to the prominence below.

According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful for Osgood-Schlatter:

• Slow the motion: Avoid excessive sports activity or exercise that might aggravate the disease
  
• Get extra antioxidants: Take 400 IU a day of vitamin E and 150 mcg a day of selenium to help the healing
  
• Chill the pain: Apply ice regularly to the painful area to reduce inflammation

What are the symptoms?
People with Osgood-Schlatter disease experience tenderness, swelling, and pain just below one knee that usually worsens with activity, such as going up or down stairs, and is relieved by rest. Symptoms may also include the appearance of a bony bump below the knee cap that is especially painful when pressed.

Other therapies
In most cases, symptoms disappear without treatment when a child’s growth is completed. Healthcare providers may recommend applying ice to the knee when pain first appears in order to help relieve inflammation. Participation in sports and excessive exercise might need to be limited. Severe cases might require immobilization of the leg in a cast or surgical treatment.

Vitamins that may be helpful
Based on the personal experience of a doctor who reported his findings, some physicians recommend vitamin E (400 IU per day) and selenium (50 mcg three times per day). One well-known, nutritionally oriented doctor reports anecdotally that he has had considerable success with this regimen and often sees results in two to six weeks.

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