Mooroolbark as well as other Australian children are at risk of permanent spinal damage because of incorrectly packed and fitted school backpacks.
Adult back pain and spinal disorders may stem from childhood activities including carrying a heavily loaded backpack for twelve years or more of schooling. Many of the current bags children are using may be fashionable, but unless they allow for even distribution across the back, they can cause pain. According to a recent study, the school bag load and duration of carriage are associated with back and neck pain. The good news is that many of these common problems can be easily avoided by developing healthy habits!
School can be a challenging time for children, so ensuring they are as comfortable as possible is important to their physical and mental development. Healthcare has been proven to be effective, and can restore correct function and relieve pain symptoms associated with the carrying of heavy backpacks. Practitioners educate parents, teachers and students about ‘Going Safely Back To School’ – the theme of this month at Optimal Wellness Chiropractic.
Correct backpack fitting and as a result correcting posture is essential in keeping your child healthy during school years. We see many young patients with chronic back problems. We believe that this could be avoided with the right education about how to wear your backpack and the appropriate healthcare during childhood and adolescence.
Prevention is the key
Here are a few pointers to help you help your school age children carry their load comfortably and safely.
Choose the right Backpack
- Don’t choose leather as it is far too heavy.
- Go for vinyl or canvas instead.
- Choose a bag that has two wide, adjustable, padded shoulder straps
- The bag must also have a hip or waist strap.
- For most comfort, choose a bag with padded back.
- For even weight distrubtion, aim for a bag with plenty of pockets.
- Make sure the bag fits properly, is not too tight around the arms and under armpits, and that its size is proportionate to the wearer’s body. packing it properly
Your kids are not moving out, so make sure your children’s bag contains only what is needed for that day, and that the weight is distributed evenly. It’s a good idea to know roughly what each item weighs. The total weight of the filled bag should be no more than 10 to 15 per cent of the wearer’s own body weight. Pack heaviest objects close to the body and place bumpy or odd shaped ones on the outside, away from the back.
Putting the Backpack on
It’s a good idea to help young children with this, at least the first few times.
- Put the pack on a flat surface, at waist height.
- Slip on the pack, one shoulder at a time,
- Then adjust the straps to fit comfortably.
Remember when lifting a backpack, or anything, to lift using the arms and legs and to bend at the knees.
The right way to wear a Backpack
Both shoulder straps should be used, and adjusted, so that the pack fits snugly to the body, without dangling to the side. Backpacks should never be worn over just one shoulder. You should be able to slide your hand between the backpack and your child’s back. The waist strap should also be worn for added stability.
Optimal Wellness Chiropractic invites all children to a FREE POSTURE ASSESSMENT as well as a Backpack/School Bag assessment during January and February.