Back to school means backpacks to school for thousands of kids in Chatham-Kent. And the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) warns parents that can mean back pain for their children.
Chatham chiropractor Dr. Stephen Zavitz said heavy loads of schoolbooks and whatever other items kids my stuff into their packs can lead to spinal stress.
“We see kids come in with back issues and they don’t know why,” he said. “One reason is they carry too much in their backpacks or they aren’t carrying it properly.”
He said if the items in the backpacks aren’t organized to distribute the weight evenly across the pack, it could cause back pain. Ditto for not carrying the pack properly.
“Don’t carry it with just one shoulder strap; use both,” he said. “Pick a backpack that is nice and light with lots of pockets to distribute the weight evenly.”
Zavitz added kids shouldn’t carry more than 10% of their body weight in their backpacks.
Overloaded backpacks, especially ones slung over just one shoulder, can cause sore necks, upper backs and shoulders, Zavitz said.
“You can get nerve pinches where the pain radiates into the arms,” he said. “But there can be a chain reaction, as the upper back problems can go into your lower back. The kids can also get headaches.”
“If you are ever worried, bring your child in for a checkup,” he said. “Minor problems can become major problems.”
The OCA, on its website, offers tips for parents and kids.
• Make sure that the backpack is made of lightweight material, has two wide, adjustable shoulder straps, a waist belt, several individual pockets, a padded back and is proportionate to the child’s body size. It should not extend beyond a child’s shoulders or below the top of their hipbones.
• The load in a backpack should not exceed 10 per cent of an elementary student’s bodyweight and 15 per cent for those in secondary school. The contents should be evenly distributed with heavy items packed closely to the body.
• When putting the backpack on, a child should place it on a table or chair, bend at the knees and lift with the legs while putting on one shoulder strap at a time.
