Backpack Safety

Since it is the beginning of yet another school year I thought it would be important to address Backpack Safety. Many people are unaware of the fact that Backpacks can cause injury if the weight is too heavy or if they are not worn properly.

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