*Flashback Friday*
*This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on August 19, 2019.
The Backpack’s Back
As physical therapist and friend of The PediaBlog, John Duffy, prepares to send his own kids back to school, he doesn’t want parents to buy into the fearful “nonsense” he hears that carrying heavy backpacks will somehow damage the backs of their growing children:
School is ready to start soon, and too many in my own profession will be coming out with “backpack back” and “text neck” nonsense. Installing fear into people just isn’t cool. We aren’t fragile entities just ready to break apart.
So with your child’s backpack, provide gradual load progression… it’s what the body prefers. And once up to that hefty weight that made me chuckle with my own kids, consider it a form of exercise that most of them don’t get enough of anyway.
Writing on his practice’s Facebook blog, Duffy cites a review study that concludes:
“Available evidence does not support that schoolbags weighing >10% of bodyweight are associated with a higher prevalence of LBP [low back pain] among schoolchildren aged 9-16.”
Even so, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants parents to be mindful of trying to lighten the heavy loads their children are expected to carry to and from school each day:
• Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back.
• Pack light. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. The backpack should never weigh more than 10% to 20% of your child’s body weight. Go through the pack with your child weekly, and remove unneeded items to keep it light.
• Remind your child to always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.
• Adjust the pack so that the bottom sits at your child’s waist.
• If your school allows, consider a rolling backpack. This type of backpack may be a good choice for students who must tote a heavy load. Remember that rolling backpacks still must be carried up stairs, they may be difficult to roll in snow, and they may not fit in some lockers. And review backpack safety with your child.
The AAP has more advice on backpack safety, including how to choose the right backpack here.
source http://www.thepediablog.com/2022/08/19/flashback-friday-220/
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