Cymraeg
Education is important! However, getting into school, seeing friends and socialising is a really essential factor in our wellbeing as well. Evidence tells us that being in school is good for your physical and emotional health.
Going to School with MSK Conditions
The pain or fatigue that can be caused by problems with bones, muscles and joints can make learning and education challenging. The truth is that lots of children experience musculoskeletal pain during their childhood as a result of growth and development of their bodies however, if these problems are identified early, and appropriate advice is followed, children should not need time out from school. In fact in many instances schools will be happy to support and assist with the child’s recovery.
Many people think that they need to be 100% better or ‘pain free’ before they attend school. With most bone, muscle and joint conditions, this is not the case. Attending school is important as part of rehabilitation and recovery and there are things that you can think about to support you to remain in school.
Here are some things to consider if you have a problem with your muscles, bones or joints that are having an impact on your education and school life:
Speak to your school
If you are having problems, talk to your school about the things that you are finding hard. There may be different ways you could do your school work using ‘reasonable adjustments’ and they can ensure that you have all necessary equipment to make this easier, and that you are using it properly. The earlier you speak to your school and teachers, the faster they can discuss the problem and if necessary, put in place modifications that could help you. Modifications to your educational environment could include things like:
- Changing school start and finish time, break times or location within the school and classroom
- Leaving lessons early to avoid the corridor rush
- Having a locker to store books rather than carry them all, or having 2 sets of books – 1 for home and 1 for school
- Changing some tasks or lessons (such as PE)
- Using specific equipment and/or furniture to help you in school (such as sitting on a chair for assembly rather than the floor, using a laptop instead of writing if for an arm problem)
- Allowing time to attend health related appointments for rehabilitation
- Access to any prescribed and appropriate pain medications, or time given in the school day to perform any strengthening exercises provided by physios!
- Being allowed to modify uniform for comfort of ease of dressing such as joggers instead of trousers, elasticated waistbands or Velcro fastenings on shoes
- Having a “buddy” at breaks and to accompany you between lessons – maybe they could help with carrying books?
If you have been unable to go into school for a while, it will help to return gradually over a period of time to phase in all of the activities you need to do. Living with pain, even in the short term can lead to an increase in fatigue which may make concentration and focus in school more difficult. Different times of day can make some MSK conditions feel worse so it’s important to tell the school staff. An open, positive and honest discussion with your school is key for getting these things ironed out early!
Stay active
Physical activity is really important for maintaining muscle strength, joint flexibility and managing pain. It is also vital for so many other reasons such as growing strong bones, helping you sleep well, maintaining a healthy weight, improving mood and staying connected to your friends and schoolmates. In the past, it was commonplace to rest at home when someone had a musculoskeletal problem like a bad back but what research has shown is that this is not helpful to your recovery. People often feel worse because of the effect of reduced activity on the body such as stiff joints and weaker muscles.
What we encourage now is for people to use ‘active rest’.
Following an injury or flare up of a long term condition, you may not be able to move around or exercise at your usual level straight away. This does not mean that you should stop moving. Here are some ideas about how you could consider active rest:
- Get up and move regularly – set an alarm on your phone or watch to remind you if necessary
- Try to be active a little and often e.g. short walks on a daily basis rather than a longer walk every other day
- Keep doing as many tasks in the house as you can but plan in advance and break them up into smaller chunks
- Try a less intense activity e.g. yoga, tai chi or swimming rather than running, climbing or tennis which have big impacts on the joints
- When meeting with friends, try a walk instead of sitting to play on games consoles or phones
- Change your activity regularly, or even try something new- Distraction is a great way to reduce pain levels!
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