How Heavy is Your Child's Backpack?

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20100826/LIFE/8260476/1112/NEWS19/How+heavy+is+your+child+s+backpack?

More than 40 million students carry school backpacks. As many as 55 percent of today's students are carrying loads far in excess of the recommended 15 percent of body weight. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there has been nearly a 300 percent increase in backpack-related injuries among schoolchildren in America since 1996.

In a 1999 poll, 58 percent of orthopedists in Chicago and Wilmington, Del., reported treating children with back or shoulder pain attributable to carrying backpacks. The most common symptom reported from backpack use is “rucksack palsy.” This condition results when pressure put on the nerve in the shoulder causes numbness in the hands, muscle wasting and, in the extreme cases, nerve damage.

More than 3,300 children, ages 5-14 years, were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to backpacks in 1998; these numbers do not include students who went to family physicians or doctors of chiropractic.

Injuries from improper backpack use are becoming epidemic. Many times when children come into my practice, their injuries relate to improper backpack use. Educating yourself and your children is the number one key to keeping them healthy and helping to prevent injuries. Parents need to remember that their kids will be carrying backpacks all the way up through college. Also, more schools are now utilizing newer technology so more students are carrying laptop computers that add additional weight. The California Chiropractic Association (CCA) has a simple set of guidelines when choosing a backpack. The CCA urges parents to look for:

# Padded shoulder straps,

# Padded back,

# Lumbar support,

# Waist belt,

# Multiple compartments,

# Correct size.

Loaded packs should:

# Not weigh more then 15 percent of the child's body weight.

# Have weight distributed properly, with heavier items closest to the back.

Children should be taught to:

# Take the backpack off when standing for a long time;

# Wear both shoulder straps;

# Tighten straps until snug, but not tight;

# Use the stabilizing waist strap.

Take the time today to teach your children prevention so they can have a healthier tomorrow. They will thank you for it.

Dr. Paula L Ruffin is a backpack safety expert and owns New Hudson Chiropractic Wellness Center. She has been practicing for more than 12 years and speaks to groups on a number of health-related topics. (248) 486-5684 www.drruffin.com