Backpack safety can be a heavy issue

What not to do – Carrying a backpack on one shoulder puts unnecessary strain on the back. File photo With the start of school comes homework, heavy books and the prospect of lugging all of it between school and home. Heavy backpacks can put a big strain on children’s backs.

Dr. Katherine Beck, a doctor of sports medicine for CJW Medical Center, says a good rule is to limit the weight of backpacks to 10 percent to 15 percent of a child’s body weight.

“It does seem that kids are getting more books to carry back and forth to school. It’s not causing scoliosis; it’s more of a strain on the back. As far as we know, it doesn’t cause any developmental problems. You’re really going to have to pay attention to what they are carrying and actually weigh the backpack if you care to see how much they are carrying,” Beck says.

“Be aware of the things that can create problems, such as weight and fit. Knowledge is key. You can always ask your chiropractor to help,” Dr. Robert Green of Active Chiropractic says.

Green and Beck say the best way to avoid back strain is to use both backpack straps – not just one, as most kids do. Slinging the backpack over one shoulder disproportionately shifts all the weight to one side and causes an overload.

Padding and adjustable shoulder straps are also a must, Green says. He recommends putting items in individual compartments to help balance the weight. When possible, children should avoid bringing everything home every night; eliminating unnecessary items helps reduce the weight of their backpacks.

“People have to realize that inside the spine is the nervous system that controls everything in the body,” Dr. Jeff Martin of Martin Chiropractic says. “If the nervous system is affected, then that person’s overall health can be compromised. Many times it may not show signs of problems until many years later, when they are in their 20s, 30s or 40s. This is one reason we offer scoliosis screenings at our office. Remember the old saying: ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’”

One way of preventing strain is to use a backpack that rolls, suggests Martin.

“I think it’s really a concern when you think of other injuries it can cause. These big, heavy backpacks put them at risk for falls,” Beck says. “It redistributes their center of gravity, and if you can imagine a kid who is wearing 50 percent of his body weight on his back, they are very off balance. It’s a fall risk, which is probably a bigger concern than just the back pain, because with back pain you know there is something going on, and a fall is a sudden event.”

Fifteen percent of Green’s patients are children.

“We have seen a rise, but I would say we have very intelligent patients that proactively bring their children in for assessment,” Green says. “The beautiful thing about being young is the body is much more resilient. Back pain is not an old person’s complaint. It just happens to be much easier to fix in a young back that hasn’t neglected it for a long time, which makes it much easier to treat.”