Dr. Jon P. Heins: Welcome, and thank you for watching this video presentation on Backpack Safety, I'm Dr. Heins and as a proud member of the Association of New Jersey Chiropractors, in an annual campaign effort to inform you about Backpack Safety Awareness, I have put together this short presentation.
Depending on your sense of humor, this cartoon you're looking at here, you may or may not get a good laugh out of. My purpose of putting it here, however is to show you how much weight the average fifth grader carries on their bags everyday in proportion to a fully grown adult marine, which you can clearly see by this child's facial expression. It's obviously not a laughing matter.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, backpacks are the leading cause of back and shoulder pain for millions of children and adolescents each year, and the children are suffering from back pain much earlier than previous generations.
The New York Times reported that parents and educators are complaining school backpacks are getting heavier, bulging with textbooks, loose leaf binders, musical instruments, laptops and lunch bags. As a result, orthopedists warn children are increasingly at risk for back pain, muscular strain and hunched posture.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons is also warning parents that backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly could injure a child's bones, muscles and joints.
In fact, a survey by the American Academy of Orthopedics, 71% of orthopedists feels that backpacks are a clinical problem for children. In addition, the American Physical Therapy Association stated that a too-heavy or improperly worn backpack may harm joints and muscles, especially in children.
A scientific experiment found that carrying a backpack alters the mobility of spinal bones, and could lead to a restricted movement, a risk factor for back pain. In another study that used MRI's to examine the effect of backpacks on discs of the spine and according to that report, backpacks alter the fluid content of these discs, a risk factor for disc herniation and arthritis.
It's obvious that this scientific research is revealing an alarming danger associated with improper childhood backpack use. This research comes from the increasing number of reports of childhood back pain in the past decade.
According to the research, by the end of their teen years, close to 74% of children experience at least one back pain episode. This research indicates that this is more than likely due to the improper use of backpacks.
In fact as of 2006, there have been alarming rise in emergency room business due to improperly worn backpacks among children. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that over 7,000 emergency room visits each year result from injuries related to backpacks. They also report that backpack-related injuries have got up 330% since 1996.
So what exactly really injuries influences that lead to over 7,000 emergency room visits a year, as a direct result of improper use of backpacks. In order of incidents, they are as follows.
Complaints of low back pain, complaints of neck pain, complaints of shoulder pain, complaints of mid-back pain, injuries from tripping and falling, and lastly, broken bones as a result of those falls.
Here is some for you to think about. The back pain is currently leading to more than 19 million doctor visits per year. What's that figure going to become when the children of the backpack generation are in their 30s and 40s? So, how much weight are your children carrying in their backpacks?
In a study of parental knowledge of school backpack weight and contents, 96% of parents had never checked their child's backpack weight, and 34% had never checked the backpack contents.
To find out exactly how much weight children are likely to carry in their backpacks, researchers determine the way weight of all the backpacks used by the sixth graders at several schools in Milan, Italy.
The study found that the average load carried daily was 20 and half pounds, and as reaching as much as 27 and a half pounds with a maximum of daily load averaging over 25 pounds, which results in over one-third of students carrying more than 30% of their body weight at least once during the week.
So how much weight should your child will be carrying on their backs? Based on the current literature, the value of 10 to 15% body weight is a justified weight limit. Here are the four guidelines for proper backpack use.
Step 1: Choose Right; choosing the correct size of backpack is the most important step to safe backpack use. The bag should not be larger than three-quarters of length of your child's back. The shoulder strap should be padded, and the waist strap is ideal. Make sure the backpack is sturdy and appropriately sized.
Consider more than looks when choosing a backpack. An ill-fitting pack can cause back pain, muscle strain and nerve impingement. Without padded shoulder straps, there would pressure on the nerves around the arm-pits. So choose a backpack that has wide cushion straps, which will distribute the weight on the shoulders evenly. Here is a tip, bring your friend to help you measure your backpack properly.
Step 2: Pack Right. The maximum weight of the loaded backpack should not exceed 15% of your child's body weight. For example, an 80 pound child should not carry more than 12 pounds in a backpack.
It's also very important to balance the weight of the contents in their backpack, or their spines will shift into unnatural postures to compensate. Regardless of the weight, pack the heaviest object's first, so that they are carried lower and closer to the body. If the pack forces to carry to bend forward, it's overloaded.
Step 3: Lift Right. Here are the guidelines for lifting a backpack. Face the backpack before you lift it. Bend at the knees, use both hands, and check the weight of the pack. Finally, lift with your legs, not with your back. Never sling the pack onto one shoulder; carrying the backpack on one shoulder, while fashionable can cause long-term neck, shoulder, back and posture problems.
Step 4: Wear Right. Put one should strap on at a time. Use both shoulder straps, and make them snug, but not too tight. The pack should not hang down pass the waist. If the backpack has a waist strap, use it.
How not to wear a backpack? The picture you could see on the left is showing you exactly what happens to the spine when a backpack is overloaded. It's forcing to carry to bend forward creating stress on the spine. The picture you could see on the right is showing you exactly what happens to the spine when holding a heavy backpack over one shoulder. Both are clearly showing how improper backpack use can cause serious postural misalignments.
By educating our children the proper body mechanics and healthier posture, we could help them grow with less pain, reduce the odds of future disability, and help this future workforce decrease on-the-job injuries.
Many adults with chronic spinal conditions can trace their problems to years of bad posture habits and poor body mechanics formed in early childhood. Remember, today our children are learning hundreds of things that will influence their lives down the road, and the world forever.
I hope you enjoyed this video presentation on Backpack Safety. It's sort of this purpose to inform you about the dangers associated with improper backpack use. It helps you to better ensure your children's future health.
As always, I'll welcome any of your thoughts, and would be glad to help answer any questions you may have. So feel free to leave a comment at the comments section below, or if you prefer, feel free to contact me through this site's contact page. Thank you, and have a great day.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services