Between all the lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, running, squatting, grabbing, and maybe even rolling, taking care of kids is extremely physical. And all of these childcare activities can cause back pain as well as other annoying aches. I consider myself fairly fit and healthy and I have experienced back pain on and off as a result of caring for my children.
And I am not alone. A study of childcare workers found that pain in the lower back was reported by 40% of workers, followed by pain of the neck (35%), and shoulder (16%). You want to know something? My mom (aka Nana) experiences occasional back pain too. She helps us out regularly with childcare and she does her fair share of wrangling a toddler and a baby. So this post is dedicated to my mom who helps us out with babysitting every other week.
Grandparents as our Childcare Providers
I don’t know what we would do without my mom. My kids love Nana. She plans crafts, reads stories, and chases them around the house. But, (without sharing any specific numbers) Nana is over half a century old (sorry Nana). And let’s be real, the body just doesn’t work the same the older we get.
Also, I know my mom isn’t the only grandparent doing us all a solid and helping out with childcare. In fact, according to Popsugar Family, the latest AARP data shows that 38 percent of grandparents play the role of babysitter or daycare provider. So actually this post is for all the Grandmas, G-mas, Grammys, Nanas, and GGs completely killing it as childcare providers. And I think every single mom could learn a helpful tip or two.
We love you, our kids love you, and most importantly we love that you watch our kids for free…so please don’t get hurt. Keep reading to find out about the impact age has on our bodies and common activities that can trigger back pain during childcare. Also, make sure to follow my simple tips to avoid back pain and what do if all else fails.
The Impact of Age on The Body
Let us quick address the elephant in the room and acknowledge that as we age our bodies change. These changes can place the body at an increased risk of injury during the challenging demands of childcare.
Decreased Muscle Mass:
With age there are changes in the nervous system and muscle connective tissue impacting the function of the muscles. Also people often become less active resulting in a decrease in muscle mass. This impacts the stability of the joints during movement. Decreased strength also places your body at an increased risk of muscle injury.
Arthritis and Stiff Joints:
Arthritis is a natural side effect of aging. We all develop some degree of arthritis as we age due to decreased muscle mass (see above), decreased cartilage, and increased wear and tear. Arthritis can cause stiffness in the joints of the hips, knees, back, and neck decreasing your ease of mobility.
Common Back Pain Triggers During Childcare
Lifting From Crib
When picking up a child from the crib first pull the baby as close to you as possible. Then try to stagger your legs and bend your knees while trying to keep your back straight. Avoid bending or rounding your back.
Putting In/Out of Highchair
Remove the tray to allow the child to easily slide in or out of the highchair. When picking baby up brace your core and lift with two arms.
Lifting From Floor
Assume a wide stance and bend at the knees in order to lift with your legs. Alternatively you can stagger your feet and lift via a 1/2 kneeling position. Always brace your core and avoid bending and lifting with your back.
Holding Baby or Toddler
When holding a child avoid putting them on your hip. This places stress and strain on your low back muscles. Instead hold the baby close to your body center with two arms. Keep your core braced and stagger your feet to reduce low back pressure. When holding a toddler encourage them to wrap their legs around your torso for even less pressure on your arms and back.
Placing in Lap
Never sit and reach out to pick up and place a toddler in your lap. Instead stagger your feet, assume a lunge position grab child and slowly lower yourself down into the seat. Better yet, encourage the toddler to climb into your lap.
Getting Off the Floor
Avoid sitting on the floor for prolonged periods of time. It is also best to avoid positions in which your knees are bent. This can cause joint stiffness and pain which will make rising to stand more difficult. When getting off the floor try to get near a support surface you can use to push/pull up on with your arms. Assume a 1/2 kneeling position, push through your planted foot and pull with your arms.
Tips for Preventing Back Pain During Childcare
Maintain Good Posture
Keeping good posture with your shoulders down and back, spine erect, and hips under trunk will help you avoid injury. Bad posture sets your muscles up for failure. You can read more on the importance of good posture in my post Why Good Posture Matters.
Strengthen Your Core
One of the best ways to prevent injury to the low back is to have a strong and stable core. Your core muscles protect your spine and decreases the risk of overuse injuries of the low back. You can find some great core exercises in my post 5 Core Exercises for a Better Belly
Practice Good Body Mechanics
Bending, lifting, and carrying the proper way is very important in the prevention of low back pain during childcare. You always want to make sure you are picking up and holding your baby or toddler the proper way. Be sure to follow the tips above and you can read more about everyday childcare body mechanics in my post Basic Baby Body Mechanics and Break Yo Mama’s Back (Body Mechanics Part II).
Stretch and Stay Active
When you regularly exercise your muscles stay stronger and more flexible. This will aid in the prevention of injury to your low back muscles when caring for babies, toddlers, and older children.
Treating Back Pain
Rest
If you unfortunately hurt your back muscles you want to give yourself a day or two of rest. Try to avoid strenuous movements and lifting or carrying anything heavy. Your muscles need a bit of rest and time to heal.
Ice
Ice is a great way to reduce inflammation in the muscles. Applying ice is best for a new (or acute) injury and should be used in the first 24-36 hours after an injury. After 36 hours it is ok to try heat which will bring blood flow and help to loosen tight muscles.
Stretch
After an injury to your back you want to be sure to stretch and move the muscles. This will aid in the healing process and reduce pain and tightness. You can find some great stretches for your low back in my post Motherhood and Low Back Pain.
Resume Activity
After a day or two of rest it is good to gradually ease back into activity. Of course you want to go slowly and start with activities that do not place excessive strain or pressure on your back. You should always check with your doctor if you continue to experience bad or unrelenting pain in your back.
Other Physical Side Effects of Childcare
Unfortunately, back pain is not the only complaint people have during childcare. Childcare is very physical and you may be experiencing pain in your:
Click on any of the above to read the associated post related to each of these body parts. Each post will include more detailed information on causes of the pain, pain prevention strategies, and possible treatment options.
Sharing is Caring
Thank you Grandparents for helping take care of our kids! We know it’s not always easy. Our children are busy, heavy, little balls of joy. So take a little extra time to protect your back with these helpful tips. Be sure to share this post with any loved ones, friends, or family who help take care of children. I believe we all could benefit from one or two of these tips to prevent back pain, no matter your age.
–Monica
1.Neck Stretches – Check out my post 
3. Tennis Balls – Use two tennis balls in a sock to reduce muscle tightness and tension in the muscles in the back of your neck. Place two tennis balls in a sock. Lay down and play the tennis balls at the base of your neck. Gently roll over the top of the tennis balls letting the balls press into the muscles of your neck. For more equipment for massage of tight muscles be sure to check out 
Why does posture matter?
Similar to “tech neck” desk work can lead to very poor posture. Prolonged sitting leads to tightness in the front of our hips which pulls our pelvis forward. It also tends to cause tightness in our chest muscles and a lengthening of our muscles between this shoulder blades. And this can lead to pain and strain of the neck and shoulder muscles. Try placing a lumbar roll at your low back to cue your body to sit upright. Make sure your computer screen is straight ahead at eye level and that your arms and shoulders are supported. Also, getting up every 30-60 minutes to stand and stretch can be helpful.
Unfortunately caring for children is setting our bodies up for posture failure. Things like carrying our babies, 
Ah pregnancy. As if growing a baby for 9 months wasn’t hard enough. Our growing belly tends to cause many posture problems. As the belly grows larger the lordosis in the low back increases. Additionally, to counteract the weight of the belly pulling forward pregnant women tend to lean their upper trunk backwards. Strengthening hip and back muscles during pregnancy is one of the best ways to avoid muscle strain and pain that can come from bad posture during pregnancy.
