Tag Archives: back to school

BACK TO SCHOOL AND BACKPACK SAFETY

Backpacks come in all sizes, colors, fabrics, and shapes and help kids of all ages express their own personal sense of style. And when used properly, they’re incredibly handy.

When worn correctly, the weight in a backpack is evenly distributed across the body, and shoulder and neck injuries are less common than if someone carried a briefcase or purse.

As practical as backpacks are, though, they can strain muscles and joints and may cause back pain if they’re too heavy or are used incorrectly.

backpacks

Problems Backpacks Can Pose

It is recommended that kids carry no more than 10% to 15% of their body weight in their packs. But many carry a lot more than that. When a heavy backpack is incorrectly placed on the shoulders, the weight’s force can pull a child backward. To compensate, the child might bend forward at the hips or arch the back. This can make the spine compress unnaturally, leading to shoulder, neck, and back pain.

Kids who wear their backpacks over just one shoulder — as many do, because they think it looks better or just feels easier — may end up leaning to one side to offset the extra weight. They might develop lower and upper back pain and strain their shoulders and neck.

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Finding a Safe Backpack

Look for the following to choose the right backpack:

  • a lightweight pack: get one that doesn’t add a lot of weight to your child’s load; for example, leather packs look cool, but they weigh more than canvas backpacks
  • two wide, padded shoulder straps: straps that are too narrow can dig into shoulders
  • a padded back: it not only provides increased comfort, but also protects kids from being poked by sharp objects or edges (pencils, rulers, notebooks, etc.) inside the pack
  • a waist belt: this helps to distribute the weight more evenly across the body
  • multiple compartments: to help distribute the weight throughout the pack

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Using Backpacks Wisely

To help kids prevent injury when using a backpack:

  • Lighten the load. No matter how well-designed the backpack, less weight is always better. Use the bathroom scale to check that a pack isn’t over 10% to 15% of your child’s body weight (for example, the backpack of a child who weighs 80 pounds shouldn’t weigh more than 8 to 12 pounds).
  • Use and pick up the backpack properly. Make sure kids use both shoulder straps. Also tighten the straps enough for the backpack to fit closely to the body. The pack should rest evenly in the middle of the back and not sag down to the buttocks.

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What Kids Can Do

A lot of the responsibility for packing lightly — and safely — rests with kids:

  • Encourage kids to use their locker or desk often throughout the day instead of carrying the entire day’s worth of books in the backpack.
  • Make sure kids don’t tote unnecessary items — laptops, cellphones, and video games can add extra pounds to a pack.
  • Encourage kids to bring home only the books needed for homework or studying each night.
  • Picking up the backpack the right way can help kids avoid back injuries. As with any heavy weight, they should bend at the knees and grab the pack with both hands when lifting a backpack to the shoulders.
  • Use all of the backpack’s compartments, putting heavier items, such as textbooks, closest to the center of the back.

What You Can Do

Involving other parents and your child’s school in solving students’ backpack burdens might help to lessen kids’ loads. Some ways the school can get involved include:

  • giving students more time between classes to use lockers
  • using paperback books
  • adding school education programs about safe backpack use
  • putting some curriculum on the school’s website, when possible

 

The Negative Health Effects of Heavy Backpacks, And How Your Kids Can Avoid Them

This article originally appeared on The Active Times by Katie Rosenbrock.backbacks

Back to school means back to the books, which is great for kids’ brains, but not so much for their backs.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a child’s backpack shouldn’t weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of their weight, but often this limit is exceeded, and it could certainly lead to strain and even injury.

There are several research studies showing the long-term effects of carrying a heavy backpack.

Wearing a heavy backpack for prolonged periods may cause excessive strain in one’s neck, back and shoulders. Over time, muscles may fatigue, and the wearer may fall into poor posture, which may lead to muscle imbalances, which, if long-term, may cause increased risk of injury.

Additionally, children who wear heavy backpacks have a tendency to lean forward to support the weight, which further implicates their posture. Plus, for small children, heavy backpacks increase their risk of falling.

Clearly there are a handful of risks involved with bearing the brunt of a backpack that’s just too heavy for a kid to handle, yet a 2002 study out of Texas found that most parents (about 96 percent) don’t inspect the weight of their kid’s backpacks.

Determining an Appropriate Backpack Weight and Avoiding Back Painbackbacks

The AAP recommends a child’s backpack weigh no more than 10 to 20 percent of their body weight, but according to The New York Times, a recent survey from Consumer Reports suggests aiming for the lower, 10-percent end of that spectrum. Quinn agrees.

Also worth noting, that same report found girls and shorter children may be most at risk for back pain resulting from heavy backpacks, so for smaller-statured kids, it’s especially important to find a backpack that fits well.

It’s important to make sure the straps are wide, padded and adjustable, so the backpack fits the child well

The backpack should be close to the body and should not hang too far below the waist. The best advice for older kids is to wear the straps on both shoulders and evenly distribute the items in the backpack.”

The risk for injury increases, Quinn explains, when the backpack is worn over one shoulder or when most of the items are packed to one side, which often causes the carrier to shift or bend to the side to bear the weight.

She emphasized the importance of carrying the backpack with both straps to distribute the weight evenly over both shoulders.

Removing unnecessary items from the backpack daily is also key..

Relieving Neck and Shoulder Strainbackpacks

Prevention is of utmost importance, but for kids who are already experiencing strain in their necks, shoulders and backs due to a heavy backpack, Quinn offers a few restorative stretches and exercises that may help.

“Heavy backpacks may cause the wearer to bend forward, causing increased strain on the lower back,” she explains. “It may cause a forward head and rounded shoulder posture, which may result in tight pectoralis muscles and excessive strain on the cervical spine (neck). Pec and upper-trap stretches may improve the flexibility of these muscles and prevent long-term postural deficits.”

As chiropractors we cannot stress how important it is that back packs are worn correctly, as well as carried correctly.   We can always check that your child pack is correct for them if you bring them into the office.  Let’s catch problems before they develop.  Dr C