Every year children look forward to filling their backpack with new school supplies, a school lunch, and other things that will prepare them for their day. As the school year marches on, their backpacks tend to become filled with so many things, it can become a little strenuous on their bodies and can lead to injury before the school year ends if they do not take the proper precautions to wear their backpack in the safest possible way.
Here are some back pack safety tips to keep in mind throughout the school year:
Size
• Should Not Extend Above Shoulders
• Should Rest In Contour Of Low Back (Avoid Sagging Down Toward Buttocks)
• Should Sit Evenly In The Middle Of The Back
Fit
• Shoulder Straps Should Rest Comfortably On Shoulders And Underarms, With Arms Free To Move – Tighten Shoulder Straps To Achieve This Fit
• Tighten Hip And Waist Straps To Hold Pack Near Body
• Padded Straps Help Even Pressure Over The Shoulders
Weight Of Pack
• Should Never Exceed 15% Of The Child’s Weight To Avoid Excess Loads On The Spine
Lifting Of Pack
• Proper Lifting Is Done By Bending The Knees, Squatting To Backpack Level, And Keeping Pack Close To Body To Lift First To Waist Level And Then Up To Shoulders
Carrying The Backpack
• Keep Both Shoulder Straps In Place And Centered
• Spinal Forces Increase With Distance From The Body’s Center, Carry Lifting Close To the Body
Posture
• Uneven Stresses On The Spine Can Cause Muscle Imbalances. This Can Lead To Pain And Possibly Functional Scoliosis.
If your child begins to complain of constant back pain, talk to your pediatrician and make sure that it isn’t a more serious issue that may be related to scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which the spine is curved either front-to-back or side-to-side and is often rotated to one side or the other. Although scoliosis can occur at birth (congenitally), the most common type is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, which usually develops during periods of rapid growth and bad posture, between the ages of 10 and 15.
A physical therapist can analyze your child’s history, habits, and activities which may be contributing to any onset symptoms or curvature of the spine. Treatment will include muscular re-educating techniques and manual techniques to restore motion, posture training, specific strengthening, and home exercises.
Have a physical therapist stop by your home today to have your child evaluated and you can easily have treatment appointments scheduled at a convenient time after school.
https://ptandme.com/blog/back-pack-safety-101/
https://sportsandmorept.com/backpack-tips-from-a-physical-therapist/
