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How To Make Your Child's At-Home Learning Space Healthy And Comfortable

ROBINSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) -- Off Route 60 in Robinson Township, Dr. Cory Wonderly is guiding patients to a healthier lifestyle.

"Headaches, neck pain, we are starting to see people with radiating pain down their arms, hands, weakness grip and strength problems," Wonderly told KDKA.

After six months of working from home, people's bodies are starting to feel the impact.

"She's got the forward rounded shoulders and the hunch continuing down her low back," Wonderly said.

More school-aged kids will now be joining in as remote learning gets underway. So how do you adapt your home to meet your child's needs?

Wooden black office desk table with laptop . Top view
Wooden black office desk table with laptop . Top view

"To have a proper setup, make sure kids' feet are flat on the floor and their computer or workspace is set up at the height level so they don't hunch forward or have an awkward position with their arms or their head and neck," Wonderly said.

If you take a look around your home, the experts say the couch is a definite no-go, but a kitchen or dining room chair could work with some adjustments.

"You want to have some lumbar support so you can add a pillow or have something to add to the cushion so they don't sink into the flat posture," Wonderly told KDKA.

If the chair is too high for your child, Wonderly suggests using a stool to prop up your child's feet so they don't hang.

"If their feet are hanging or dangling from the chair, the amount of pressure will slow down the blood flow to and from the heart so it's not good for their circulation," Wonderly said.

When it comes to the screen, students are already experiencing what is called the "tech neck."

"Children earlier on have forward flexed shoulders. They are hunched forward, chin comes up and comes forward. They start having neck pain and headaches early on," Wonderly said.

The answer to combatting this growing problem is in posture. Experts suggest investing in a standing desk or stack up books so your child's laptop screen is at eye level.

The biggest piece of advice from Wonderly is to make sure your child is getting up and moving every hour. He suggests setting an alarm as a reminder.

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