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Backpacks and back pain

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Every school year millions of children walk to, from and around the school carrying backpacks. Backpacks are essential because students need to carry their books and materials. However, a heavy backpack will cause the most back pain. Following a few guidelines may be able to help with backpacks and back pain for your children.
· Backpacks and back pain: How the back responds to the backpacks:
A backpack allows a person to carry more than they could carry in their arms. The risk, with backpacks and back pain, is overload. Overload can strain the back, neck and shoulders. The back will compensate for any backpack load applied to it for an extended period of time. Heavy backpacks cause back pain because they:

1) Cause you to lean forward. This will reducing balance and make it easier to fall
2) Distort the natural curves in the middle and lower backs. This causes muscle strain and irritation to the spinal joints and the rib cage.
3) Cause rounding of the shoulders

Carrying backpacks over one shoulder may be popular with kids, but it will make the muscles strain to compensate for the uneven weight. Backpacks cause this kind of back pain, by stressing the middle back, ribs and lower back more on one side than the other, causing muscle strain, muscle spasm and back pain in the short term and speed the development of back problems later in life.

· Backpacks and back pain: Medical research on backpacks:
Medical literature on this issue shows inconsistent recommendations on how to avoid episodes of back pain in children who carry backpacks, but the literature also currently suggests there is little chance a child will be permanently injured by carrying a heavy backpack.

• Some suggest limiting the backpack weight to 10-15% of the child’s body weight, but this recommendation is not based on scientific research.
• Another article investigated the correlation between spinal deformity and how the child wears the backpack. They did not investigate whether children who carry heavy backpacks are more likely to experience long term spinal deformity. But it would make sense.

· Backpacks and back pain: Tips to prevent back pain from backpacks:
There are very few studies. Even the medical literature does not agree on specific approaches to backpack safety to avoid back pain. Common sense is the best tool to reduce that a child will suffer back pain due to carrying a backpack.

• Ask your child if they feel any back aches or pain
• Look for backpack design features that help reduce the chance of back pain:
• Buy backpacks using lightweight material (canvas as opposed to leather).
• Buy backpacks with two padded, wide (2-inches), adjustable shoulder straps on the backpack.
• Buy backpacks with padded backs.
• Buy backpacks with individualized compartments.
• Buy backpacks with a hip strap, waist belt or frame to redistribute the weight of the backpack from the shoulders and back to the pelvis.
• Buy backpacks with wheels so that the backpack can be pulled rather than carried to avoid back pain.
• Teach your child how to properly load and wear the backpack to avoid back pain:
• Encourage your child to use both shoulder straps and wear the backpack on the back rather than over one shoulder.
• Pack the heaviest objects into the backpack first so they are carried lower and closest to the body.
• TEACHERS! Try to limit the amount of heavy class materials the students must carry in their backpacks.
• Try to pack sharp or bulky objects in the backpack so they do not contact the back.
• Make sure the child does not lean forward when walking; if this is necessary, there is too much weight in the backpack.
• If the child complains of back pain, reduce the weight in the backpack immediately.
• Train your children/students to clean out the backpack at least once a week.
• Choose the smallest backpack that will meet the childs needs.
• Talk to your childs teacher. Maybe he or she can keep one set of books in the classroom for daily work and try to leave the heavy books at home. Maybe the teachers can even make photocopies of homework from the text that can be more easily carried.
• Try to attend PTA meetings so that you can help discuss any of these issues relating to backpacks and back pain.
• There are also a number of alternatives to traditional backpacks on the market with saddle bags, rollerbags, backpacks with inflatable lumbar support and straps, totally inflatable backpacks and molded backpacks.

There are some solutions to the problem of backpacks and back pain. Try to see what works for your child!

 

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