Improper Backpack Usage Leads to Injuries in Kids and Teens

We often associate benign back pain with poor posture while working, sitting and lifting objects. While the earlier statement is true, little did we know that the way we insult our back starts very early in life. In fact the insult start as early as the time we started going to the kindergarten. This is because recent studies have clearly demonstrated that improper backpack usage leads to injuries in kids and teens. The populations most at risk are younger kids and girls as they tend to be smaller built and thus carry loads that are inappropriately heavy for their body size.

So what are the signs and symptoms that the backpack is way too heavy for your child? I am sure that we do not need to be a scientist to figure out the answer for this question, just as we become preoccupied with our daily chores and obsessions to give the best to our child, we often neglect simple things like that. Pain is a way our body tries to tell us that something is wrong, so if your child complains about pain in the back, do not simply ignore it or assume it as a lazy excuse of not going to school. The other sign is the straps of the bag that appears to excavate into the shoulders. This will surely interfere with the blood circulation and the nervous system, causing a sense of tingling sensation in the arms and hands. Other more subtle signs include having to lean backwards just to get the backpack on to the shoulders and then having to lean forwards again just to get up and start carrying the backpack, walking with the body hunch forward or leaned to one side.

So having identified that your child maybe struggling to carry the backpack to school, what can you as a concern parent now do to rectify the situation?

1) Help or Teach Your Child To Plan His/Her Load

This is one of the reasons the daily timetable was design and put into usage. Pack only books that will be use for classes tomorrow. Do not let your child get into a habit of throwing all the textbooks into a bag and carrying them daily to school even though they will not be use. To give you a rough idea, the backpack your child carries should weigh no more than 10 to 15 percent of the bodyweight of your child.

2) Choose The Right Bag