Our children are going to school and as parents we should
consider their workload. A lot of students are experiencing back, neck,
shoulder and low back pain. The main cause of these pains is our kid’s
backpacks. Statistics say that 14, 000 children aging 5-18 are required hospitalization
because of backpack related injuries. Injuries in the early age can affect
their future. Therefore, proper fit, distribution and low weight can get rid of
these back pains.
Backpacks that are too heavy might cause stress on the muscles of a growing child. The longer this weight stays, the period of recovery or the spine’s correction will also take longer. As a result, they will encounter different kinds of pain. In one particular study, 60% of a certain group of children experienced pain as a result of heavy backpacks.
Another study and this time using MRI to measure the effect of
heavy backpack on the intervertebral discs in the lumbar area found out that
the discs are compressed and causing pain among children. There are kids carry
backpacks around 20-30 pounds in weight. However, weight isn’t the factor that
causes pain, there are actually more.
Improper fit can also lead to imbalance and more pain. The
right fitting for a backpack is as equal as taking care of the weight. For example,
if a child carries his backpack using only one shoulder, it creates torsion in
the spine that may lead to muscular imbalances and postural abnormalities.
Using both straps should really be done. But you should ensure that the
backpack does not hang more than 5 inches below the waistline. Children whose
backpacks are hanging below their waist usually complain of shoulder and neck
pain.
You should also take note that if the pain of your child isn’t
normal anymore, you should visit your doctor for checkup. Hootan Melamed
says, “Pain isn’t something you should
just carry around. If it’s not managed by simple remedies, let the experts take
care of it.”
Pain is a natural experience but it should not stop our
children from growing the right way. Prevention is better than cure so learn to
prevent circumstances that will really cause them a lot of trouble.
