Back To School, Back to Backpacks

As children all around Peoria and Central Illinois get ready to go back to school, this is an important time to remind all parents about the dangers of heavy backpacks. Even with the advent of technology such as laptops and tablet computers, children are still carrying more (and heavier!) books from class to class. And they still need pencils, pens, rulers, workbooks, folders, and dozens of other supplies on a daily basis.

Backpack safety is an important issue for children, who are still growing. Even if your child's backpack feels light to you, it will proportionately heavier for him or her. A recent Italian study found, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), "that the average child carries a backpack that would be the equivalent of a 39-pound burden for a 176-pound man, or a 29-pound load for a 132-pound woman. Of those children carrying heavy backpacks to school, 60 percent had experienced back pain as a result."

To reduce the impact of heavy backpacks on your child's health, here are nine important tips from the ACA:

• Make sure your child's backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause your child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back, rather than on the shoulders, by the straps.
• The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing your child to lean forward when walking.
• A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents most effectively. Make sure that pointy or bulky objects  are packed away from the area that will rest on your child's back.
• Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry - and the heavier the backpack will be.
• Urge your child to wear both shoulder straps. Lugging the backpack around by one strap can cause the disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms, as well as low-back pain.
• Wide, padded straps are very important. Non-padded straps are uncomfortable, and can dig into your child's shoulders.
• The shoulder straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to your child's body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal misalignment and pain.
• If the backpack is still too heavy, talk to your child's teacher. Ask if your child could leave the heaviest books at school, and bring home only lighter hand-out materials or workbooks.
• Although the use of rollerpacks - or backpacks on wheels - has become popular in recent years, the ACA is now recommending that they be used cautiously and on a limited basis by only those students who are not physically able to carry a backpack. Some school districts have begun banning the use of rollerpacks because they clutter hallways, resulting in dangerous trips and falls.

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