Back to school and back to heavy backpacks…
The roads are filled again with more cars and kids crossing the street getting back to their school routine, and the one thing I can’t help notice are the over-sized heavy backpacks that are being carried by many of the children.
The alarming fact about these heavy backpacks is that over time, it does create a problems with posture and the spine of children. Many parents are bringing in their children to our office in Livermore with complaints of neck pain, mid back pain, headaches and stiffness. Most of these problems lead to bad postural habits with sitting and looking forward for extended periods of time and backpacks that are too heavy.
The rule on backpacks is that the weight of the backpack should not exceed 20% of the child’s weight. As an example, if a child weighs 50 pounds the back pack should not be more than 10lbs. Ten pounds does not seem like much weight as these days, lockers are not available and one text book can weigh 2-3 lbs. Adding in a lunch bag, note books, a pencil bag and other goodies, most backpacks for a 8 year old will easily exceed the allowed safe weight to carry on their developing spines.
The solution? There are many. One is to get a better back pack that allows for more support. A great type of backpack is the one that has wheels so that there is no pressure on the spine. Some kids are not a big fan so the other option is to purchase a backpack that has a lumbar supportive strap across the abdomen to help balance the weight. Another solution is to carry some weight in the backpack and a few books in hand so that it also balances the weight and prevents injuries.
If your child is complaining of back aches and/or their posture is looking imbalanced be sure to have them checked by a Chiropractor so that the issues can be dealt with before becoming chronic and even permanent.
For more information on children’s spine safety, email me at drhaque [at] haquechiropractic [dot] com.
