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Mounting Research Reveals Alarming Danger
Associated with Improper Backpack Use - Marvin Arnsdorff, DC
For many students, "hitting the books" leads to academic achievement.
Students who carry those books in overloaded backpacks may be unknowingly
participating in the beginning of a health epidemic.
Scientific research reveals an alarming danger associated with improper
childhood backpack use. This research stems from the increasing number of
reports of childhood back pain in recent decades. By the end of their teen
years, close to 60 percent of youths experience at least one low-back pain
episode. And new research indicates that this may be due, at least in part,
to the improper use of backpacks on young spines. That's why Dr. Marvin
Arnsdorff and his partner John Carroll created Backpack Safety
America/International to curb the rising tide of injury due to improper use
of backpacks. "Back pain leads to more than 19 million doctor visits per
year, according to the U.S. Department of Human Health and Services," said
Dr. Arnsdorff. "What will that figure be when the members of the "Backpack
Generation" are in their thirties and forties?"
Backpack Safety America/International is the world's first comprehensive
education program designed to help students, parents and teachers prevent
injuries related to the improper use of backpacks among school-age children.
Doctors across North America and around the world have presented the program
to more than a million students, parents, teachers and administrators.
BACKPACKS' ATTACK ON BACKS
Watch children in any schoolyard struggle to walk while bent sideways under
the weight of an overloaded backpack on one shoulder. You will quickly
realize the potential danger of this commonplace item. How exactly does
carrying a backpack affect the spine? Common sense tells us that a load,
distributed improperly or unevenly, day after day, indeed causes stress to a
growing spinal column. The old adage "As the twig bends, so grows the tree"
comes to mind. There is a growing concern about the improper use of
backpacks and the relatively scarce amount of instructional and preventative
information available to young people. It is not the backpack's fault that
kids have not been given the guidelines.
CHECK THE NUMBERS
The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 7,277 emergency room
visits each year result from injuries related to book bags. The CPSC also
reports that backpack-related injuries are up 330% since 1996. "That is the
beginning of an epidemic, one that will cause serious damage to a child's
health for a lifetime," said Dr. Arnsdorff.
Do this "heavy" math: 12 pounds in an average child's backpack times 10
lifts per day equals 120 pounds lifted per day. This 120 pounds per day
times 180 days per school year equals 21,600 pounds lifted in one school
year. That is nearly 11 tons, or the equivalent of six full size
automobiles.
GETTING OUT OF LINE
Hauling a heavy backpack over one shoulder every day may cause serious
postural misalignments. These postural imbalances often trigger a condition
called vertebral subluxation. Vertebral subluxations are dysfunctional
areas in the spine where movement is restricted or bones (vertebrae) are out
of alignment. This disorder predisposes patients to a number of ailments,
such as neck and back pain, headaches, and osteoarthritis.
In addition, a recent scientific experiment found that carrying a backpack
alters the mobility of spinal bones and can lead to restricted movement-a
risk factor for pain. Yet another study used magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) to examine the effect of backpacks on the intervertebral disc of the
spine, the fluid-filled "pillows" between spinal bones. According to the
report, backpacks alter the fluid content of these discs-a risk factor for
disc herniation ("slipped" disc) and osteoarthritis.
BACKPACKS ARE NOT JUST CAUSING PROBLEMS IN THE UNITED STATES
The amount of weight carried by children in their backpacks is an important
issue that deserves serious consideration. To quantify how much weight
children are likely to carry in their backpacks, researchers in Milan,
Italy, determined the weight of all the backpacks used by sixth graders at
several schools.
The average load carried daily 20.5 pounds, reaching as much as 27.5 pounds,
with the maximum daily load averaging 25.3 pounds. Over one-third of
students carried more than 30% of their body weight at least once during the
week.
BACKPACKS MAY SPAWN FALLS
Research presented at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation's annual meeting in San Francisco exposes yet another
potential danger of heavy backpacks: they promote falls in students who
wear them.
Specifically, students who carried packs weighing 25% of their body weight
exhibited balance problems while performing normal activities such as
climbing stairs or opening doors, which in turn increases their risk of
falls. In contrast, students who carried packs weighing 15% of their body
weight maintained their balance moderately well. Those carrying 5% of their
body weight were most effective at maintaining balance, compared with their
peers who carried more weight.
ROLLER BAGS ARE NOT CURE-ALLS
An empty roller bag can weigh up to 80% more than an empty backpack. Factor
in that there is a tendency to add more things to a roller bag, it can end
up weighing 50 pounds or more. At some point during the day, a child needs
to lift that bag, and proper guidelines still should be followed.
These disturbing trends clearly show the importance of a comprehensive
educational program designed to give students, parents, and teachers
guidelines necessary to prevent future spinal conditions due to improperly
worn backpacks.
BACKPACK SAFETY TIPS
- Make sure the backpack is sturdy and appropriately sized. Some
manufacturers offer special child-sized versions for children ages 5-10.
These packs weigh less than a pound and have shorter back lengths and widths
so they do not slip around on the back.
- Consider more than looks when choosing a backpack. An ill-fitting pack
can cause back pain, muscle strain, or nerve impingement. You want to have
padded shoulder straps to avoid pressure on the nerves around the armpits.
Some backpacks have waist straps designed to stabilize the load. These
should be used whenever possible.
- The proper maximum weight for loaded backpacks should not exceed 15% of
the child's body weight. For example, an 80-pound child should not carry
more than 12 pounds in a pack. If the pack forces the carrier to bend
forward, it is overloaded.
- In loading, it is obvious that excessive backpack weight can cause
problems. Prioritizing the pack's content is very important. Avoid loading
unnecessary items. It is important to balance the weight of the contents or
the body shifts into unnatural postures to compensate.
- Often ignored is the act of lifting and positioning the pack. Lifting 20
pounds improperly can cause damage. Follow these simple steps:
- Face the backpack before you lift it.
- Bend at the knees.
- Using both hands, check the weight of the pack.
- Lift with your legs, not your back.
- Carefully put one shoulder strap on at a time. Never sling the pack onto
one shoulder.
- Use both shoulder straps. Make them snug but not too tight. Carrying
the backpack on one shoulder, while fashionable, can cause long-term neck,
shoulder, back, and postural problems. Use the stabilizing waist strap
around the waist.
For additional information, contact:
Marvin Arnsdorff, DC
Backpack Safety America
Body Mechanics, Inc.
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