In 1998 the
U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission estimated that over 3,300 kids between the ages of 5 and 14 were treated in
emergency rooms across the country due to injuries related to backpack use. This
study didn’t even count the visits to family physicians or specialists such as
orthopedists or chiropractors! Since that initial estimate in 1998, several
colleges and universities around the country conducted studies which analyzed
the effects backpacks have on America’s youth.
In 2001, a
study conducted by doctors Shelly Goodgold and Karen Jacobs, found that over
50% of students carry more than the recommended national guidelines of 10-15%
of body weight. In 2005, a study performed at the University of California at
San Diego School of Medicine helped to identify that the way loads are
distributed under backpack straps is a definitive source of shoulder and back
pain in young people.
The Consumer
Product and Safety Commission re-examined this issue again in September of
2007. Here they found that the U.S. Emergency Rooms treated 7,300 injuries
during the 2006 school year due to heavy backpacks. In 2008 it was found that more
than 8,000 Americans went to emergency rooms due to backpack-related injuries.
Heavy
backpacks have a very destructive impact on your posture and spinal health and
can cause injuries that can last a lifetime. There seems to be a national
epidemic forming. Schools either remove or restrict access to lockers during
the course of the school day which leads to more and more books, accessories,
and other possessions being stuffed into backpacks. Students are becoming
walking lockers!
In school
aged children their muscles and bones haven’t fully developed yet. Too much
weight in the backpack combined with the improper wear puts undue strain on the
spine and other structures. Over time,
abnormal posture maintained for extended periods of time leads to weakening of
neck, mid-back, low back, and abdominal musculature. These underdeveloped
muscles can then be “molded” into a permanent deficient posture position.
There should
be no more than 15% of your total body weight in your backpack. Here are some
examples:
|
Persons Weight
|
Backpacks Weight
|
|
50 lbs.
|
No more than 7.5 lbs.
|
|
80 lbs.
|
No more than 12 lbs.
|
|
100 lbs.
|
No more than 15 lbs.
|
|
130 lbs.
|
No more than 19.5 lbs.
|
It’s been
determined that this amount of weight, when carried properly, can be done
without much of a chance of injury or permanent structural change. When the
weight is not carried properly functional stresses placed upon the body alter
the center of gravity requiring mechanical adjustments. When mechanical
behavior within a joint is altered, flexibility and range of motion suffer
leading to injury.
Long-standing
over-activation of abnormal joint reflexes causes changes in spinal cord
memory. This can eventually “burn a groove” in the Central Nervous System
(i.e.-brain and spinal cord), via saturation of a constant stream on inappropriate
proprioceptive information (Proprioceptor: a sensory nerve ending in muscles,
tendons, and joints that provides a sense of the body's position by responding
to stimuli from within the body.)
SO, if the weight of your backpack is greater
than the recommended 15% of your body weight, your center of gravity is
changed, and initially it forces you to lean backward. In an effort to
re-balance the body you move your torso forward. This constant weight shifting
that occurs every 45 minutes as you change classes leads to the “molding” &
“grooving” discussed earlier! Combine this with an improperly worn or fitted
backpack and further problems can develop.
The straps
on the backpack can compress sensitive neurovascular bundles in the neck and
shoulder region which can lead to pain as well as tingling and numbness in the
arms known as “rucksack palsy.”
Here are
some ways to stay safe while using a backpack. First of all, select the proper
backpack. Your backpack should not be wider than your torso and not much longer
than the length between your shoulder and your hip. The bottom of your pack
should not rest more than four inches below your waistline. The straps should
be well padded and wide so that the load is distributed over a greater area in
order to protect the nerves and blood vessels that pass underneath. Look for
backpacks that provide support for the lumbar spine as well. Some packs come
with air bladders that fit in the small of the back or some form of lumbar
padding which allows for even more of a custom fit. The lumbar cushion will
distribute weight to the legs, creating a fulcrum that facilitates an upright
standing position and good posture that is essential to proper spinal health. Secondly,
load your backpack properly. No more than 15% of your own body weight. Lastly,
adjust and wear your backpack properly. NEVER wear your pack slung over just
one shoulder. This leads to Muscle fatigue and nerve compression. It causes you
to lean more to one side causing abnormal curving of the spine. It can also jam
the joints in the vertebral column leading to what is known as facet
imbrication.
Only carry
what you need to minimize the weight. Keep heavier objects on the bottom and
equally balanced from side to side. When getting contents in or out of the
backpack, place it on a desk or table if possible rather than the floor.
The higher surface will prevent you from stooping. Never twist when putting it
on or taking it off. When picking it up, always bend your knees and never bend
at the waist as this could cause injury.
Thank you
for taking the time to read this. I hope you pass this along because this is an
epidemic that can be prevented.
References:
National
Backpack Safety Program Manual
