On top of every child’s list of school necessities is a backpack. While they vary in style, color and sizes, they all share one thing in common: they are detrimental to the health of your child’s spine.
According to an article in a 1998 edition of the prestigious scientific journal Spine, by the time a young adult has graduated from high school, he or she has experienced at least one episode of back pain, due in part to the improper use of backpacks.
Children are carrying around excessive weight on their backs. In fact, a backpack can easily weigh upwards of 20 pounds. That kind of pressure on the back of a child in early adolescence can result in premature degeneration of the spine.
But how do the backpacks cause so much damage? They cause postural shifts, which may result in shifts in the alignment of the spine (vertebral subluxation complex), which can lead to back and neck pain, muscular tension, muscular imbalance/asymmetry, decreased range of motion and early degeneration and arthritic changes of the spine.
When a child walks with a loaded backpack hanging off of one shoulder (let’s say the right side), they compensate by leaning towards the opposite direction. As a result, other areas of the body also compensate for the weight imbalance. Further compensations result in muscles working much harder on one side of the body versus the other. Take this scenario and repeat it on a weekly, daily, or monthly basis, and it is easy to see how this situation can snowball into a major problem. Similarly, take a look at your child from the side while they are wearing their backpack. You’ll quickly notice how their head becomes displaced forward, once again compensating for the excessive load that is being levied onto their spine.
As chiropractors that focus on the structural correction of the spine, we are now seeing a higher incidence of children and young adults with severe neck and back pain. What parents don’t often realize is that a child’s spine is still in its developmental stages. Considering that the human spine becomes far more stable in the mid to later teenage years, it is easy to understand how unnecessary pressure applied to the spine in pre-adolescence and adolescence can leave a permanent scar (no different than leaving a footprint in wet cement). Unfortunately, damage to the spine at such a young age is likely to result in debilitating pain and early arthritic changes that will be most apparent in later years.
So how do we go about preventing damage to the spine that may result from the use of backpacks? Recommendations from Backpack Safety America include advice for purchasing backpacks and proper lifting techniques:
- Make sure it has belt straps, which serves to stabilize the backpack
- It should have a structurally reinforced base. This will prevent unnecessary sagging commonly found in less expensive models.
- When the child is preparing to put on the backpack, have them face the backpack when lifting it onto their shoulders.
- Have them bend at the knees, squat down and use their legs (not their back) to lift their backpacks (always lift with the legs).
- Have the child slip one arm at a time underneath the straps, securing both straps comfortably around the shoulders.
- Make sure that all straps are adjusted so that the backpack is snug to the body.
If your child is already experiencing pain, consider seeing a specialist.
Chiropractors that focus on the structural correction of the spine and vertebral subluxation complex use a technique called Clinical Biomechanics of Posture (CBP) an advanced technique taught in post-graduate study.
When parents bring their children to a CBP practice, we perform a thorough structural evaluation, then provide both corrective care and education to help families implement proper postural habits that will prevent further damage.
Dr. Chad Laurence is a 2000 graduate of Life University of Chiropractic, and a distinguished fellow of Clinical Biomechanics of Posture. He focuses on the Structural Correction of the Spine and Nutrition, as well as Structural Spinal Rehabilitation and Pediatrics. He practices at Corrective Chiropractic, 7503-A Lancaster Pike in Hockessin. For more information, call 234-1115, write drchad@correctivechiro.net, or visit www.correctivechiro.net.
