Dangers of backpacks just around the corner!

Back to school time, physician visits, school supplies and floods of backpacks

Elementary, High School and College students alike will all be heading off again to school with those famous backpacks strapped to their backs.

Parents start gearing up for the school year wondering how severe flu season will be or if there will be another chicken pox outbreak. Among all those health concerns drifting in and out of the minds of parents everywhere, backpacks should be the top of the list.

Overweight backpack strapped around the shoulders worn on the back can not only cause pain, fatigue and lead to bad posture other serious conditions can occur like early wear and tear syndrome and spine compression.

Health practitioners agree that should not carry a backpack that is more than 15% of their body weight. Other recommended guidelines include; backpack straps should be padded and contoured to fit them. Both straps need to be worn to distribute the weight evenly. The Orthopedic Connection has Backpack Safety page filled with valuable information for parents concerning backpack safety for their children.

Most worries concerning these backpacks are the unnecessary weight of the packs. As the child grows older not only does the grade level go up but so do the amount of text books the child needs for school. Schools today now choose not to use lockers and if they do a child does not have enough time in between classes to go to the locker, unload books and reload. More and more low back pain in children is being seen. Adding to the list of that heavy back children tend to add in their personal items. These heavy backpacks at times have the child arching the back which can lead the spine to compress in an unnatural manner. Then there is that “cool look” of wearing that backpack over one shoulder. Little do they realize this action can cause them lower and upper back pain not to mention a strain in their neck or shoulders. Walking with this heavy pack increases their risk of falling especially on stairs or other areas where it is uneven.

A survey conducted by Backpack Safety International™ was to determine the volume of injuries due to heavy backpacks on patients aged five to eighteen years old. The survey was answered by North American Chiropractors and some of the results are as follows;

181 chiropractors saw patients aged 5 to 18 who reported back, neck or shoulder pain due to heavy backpacks. The most common diagnoses were subluxations.

Chiropractors can offer more for that beginning school year for children by providing preventive wellness care and maintain the body’s structure. Plus chiropractors deal with a variety of conditions for children including asthma, colic, sports injuries and more.

When your child goes off to school and you begin to notice any of the following:

They are having difficulty putting on or removing the backpack.

Complaints of tingling or numbness in the arm.

Complain their back hurts.

You notice their posture has changed with or without the backpack.

You notice a red mark on back, neck or shoulders.

They have discomfort in shoulder, arm, legs, back or neck.

It is time to your call your chiropractor before any more problems arise or the current ones worsen. Chiropractors are licensed and trained. When it comes to children they receive that extra special care. Many states now consider chiropractors as a general practitioner.

Among all the health checks and shopping runs it may not be a bad idea to stop at your chiropractor and make sure your child’s spine is in top condition for the upcoming school year.

- examiner.com