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Georgetown, CO 80444
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Backpack Safety
As I drop my children off at school each morning, I see all the young students walking in. Most of them are carrying far too much weight in their backpacks. I can tell by their posture that the backpacks are putting too much stress on their growing spine. A lot of the packs are too big and some children are carrying their packs with only one shoulder strap on.
Let me explain a bit about how proper backpack carrying habits can improve a child's health and prevent future injuries from occurring to the spine. When there is too much weight in the backpack or if it is not fitted or worn properly, the child can become subject to future posture problems, which will ultimately affect the spine adversely. This can impact the overall health of a child. The heavy pack changes the child's center of gravity. The response to this is that the child's upper torso moves forward to compensate and balance. These young muscles and bones are not developed enough yet to handle the extra stress.
If your child is experiencing unusual pain in their neck, shoulders, back, hips, or even experiencing headaches, it could be from a heavy or ill-fitted backpack. The most common symptoms reported from improper backpack use are numbness and tingling in the shoulders, arms, and hands (cited from Ventura designs). This condition is called "rucksack palsy". It happens because sensitive neurovascular bundles are compressed by the shoulder straps of the pack when it is improperly fitted or overloaded.
Taking a closer look at your child's backpack carrying habits can prevent spinal injuries from occurring. The appropriate maximum weight for a child to carry in a backpack is 15% of the bodyweight. For a 100 pound child that is 15 pounds. That weight percentage will not cause adverse posture changes in most cases. Also, make sure that both shoulder straps are worn and the pack fits tightly. Carrying on one shoulder can cause posture problems and contribute to curvature of the spine. A loose or low hanging pack will put added stress on the muscles between the shoulder blades and lead to muscle weakness.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at sue@drsueleblanc.com.
Dr. Sue