Backpacks:  A Health And Safety Issue

 Defining The Problem

As anyone who has ever lifted the backpack of an elementary or high school child with alot of homework knows, they are very heavy.  Parents, educators and health professionals alike are increasingly concerned with the problems resulting from the heavy backpacks children are carrying.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more than 3,300 children from ages 5-14 were treated in emergency rooms in 1998 for injuries related to backpacks.  Some reports estimate 25% - 33% of adolescents have standard adult low back pain.

A study of 1178 children published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine showed that 69% of children who used hand held bags reported pain. 

A report by a middle school found that average backpack weight for girls was 10.2 pounds and 9.25 pounds for boys.  A similar high school study found the average backpack weighed 13.8 pounds with the heaviest at 30.9 lbs. 

Besides causing immediate problems, heavy backpacks can cause or contribute to spinal imbalances, which may lead to spinal and other health related problems in later years.  In the early years while the bones, ligaments and discs are being formed, it is vital to lay a proper foundation for spinal health.  Repetitive stress injuries from lifting, postural deviations caused by improper usage and distortion of delicate spinal structures can each be caused from heavy backpack usage.  As parents, it is vital to educate our children about proper usage of the backpack, monitor what they’re carrying and take appropriate steps to insure proper spinal health now and in the future.

Tips To Help Prevent Backpack Injury 

1.  Keep backpack weight at or below 10% of bodyweight and never over 15%. 

2.  Carry only what’s really necessary and clean out the backpack often. 

3.  Use both shoulder straps.  Straps should be well padded, so as not to dig into skin and muscles. 

4.  When lifting, face the backpack, bend at the hips and knees, keep the load close to the body while picking it up. 

5.  Position the pack properly.  The bottom of the pack should fall just above the beltline.  The top should be no higher than the upper portion of the shoulder blades. 

6.  Pack the heavier items closest to the back so the center of gravity is closer to the body. 

7.  On the occasional day when there is too much to carry, you can:

     a.  pack some in the backpack and carry the rest in your arms.

     b.  use a backpack with a hip belt.  This will distribute the weight more evenly.

8.  If child is extremely overweight, unfit or has scoliosis, chances of injury increase.

9.  Make sure the child wears good shoes.  Wearing heels or platforms with a backpack is an accident waiting to happen.

10.    Don’t ignore persistent pain.  If complaints are similar and recurrent or if one arm or leg is bothered more than the other, check it out.

A Simple Home Test

To Determine If Your Child Has Underlying Spinal Imbalance

1.  Check the child’s posture

    a.  from behind - the ears, shoulders and hips should be level.  You should see no rotation of the head, shoulders or hips.   

    b.  from the side - when looking at your child from the side, you should be able to draw a straight line through the middle of the ear, through the middle of the shoulder, and to the middle of the hips.  There should be a slight forward curve in the neck, a moderate backward curve by the shoulder blades, and a slight forward curve in the lower spine.

2.  Look at their shoes to see if the soles are wearing unevenly or if one side is more worn than the other.

3.  Is one pants leg consistently shorter than the other, or the hemline of a dress uneven?

4.  Range of Motion:

     a.  have your child turn his/her head to the right then left as far as possible (without moving shoulders).  They should be able to turn their chin nearly to the shoulder and equally from one side to the other.

     b.  have your child bend his/her head to the right then left without raising the shoulder to meet the ear.  They should be able to bend equally to both sides with no discomfort.

5.  Leg Length

With shoes on, have your child lie on his/her back on the floor.  Make sure your child is as straight as possible.  “Cup” the child’s heels in your hands, with your fingers on the outside and your  thumbs on the bottom of the heel, pointing toward each other.  Press the feet together and push them up slightly (toward the head) with equal thumb pressure on each foot.  Look down over the feet and see if one leg appears slightly shorter than the other.  The difference may be only a fraction of an inch.

Positive findings in these tests could mean that your child’s spine is out of balance and may be at higher risk for backpack or other spinal injury or related health problems.

If you find significant deviations and/or have positive results in more than one area you should have your child thoroughly checked by a chiropractor, who is trained to completely assess your child’s spine, discuss any problems and their affect on his/her health and make recommendations for correction.

See For Yourself

You can find out how your child’s spine is holding up with backpack stress at Branchville Family Chiropractic.  Through our computerized digital posture imaging with the PosturePro Analysis System, we can show you how your child’s spine is, based on their posture.  PosturePro gives you a picture record of what your child’s posture looks like and creates a skeletal image to give you an idea of the impact that poor posture has on the body’s structure. 

A picture is worth a thousand words so call today and set up an appointment to have your child’s posture checked with PosturePro.  Call us at (973) 948-5556 today.