Backpacks and Back Pain in Children

For each academic year, millions of children carry books and teaching materials, and commute to work while commuting. Keep in mind that parents, when carrying with a heavy backpack on their backs, can cause pain in their backs.

With backpacks, children can carry some textbooks and items in a practical way and can distribute heavy loads on strong back and shoulder muscles. However, the risk is overloading and there is a possibility of placing a burden on the back, neck and shoulders.

The back compensates for any load added to it for a long time. The weight carried by the backpack is:

It distorts the natural curve of the center part of the back and waist and causes muscle tension, stimulation of the spinal joint and ribs.

If you regularly use a backpack on one shoulder, your muscles can get tired and compensate for your weight bias. The spine is tilted to the other side, the pressure in the center of the back, ribs and waist is greater than on the other side. This type of muscle imbalance can cause muscle tension, muscle cramps, and back pain in a short period of time, and unless corrected it can accelerate the occurrence of the back problems of later years.

A heavy backpack can pull neck muscles and cause headaches, shoulder pain, back pain, neck and arm pain.

Medical literature on backpacks is often uncertain and sometimes inconsistent, but review of existing medical literature suggests some general conclusions:

Carrying a heavy backpack and carrying a backpack is a common cause of pain in the backs of children and adolescents.

Low back pain caused by backpack is a short term (such as muscle tension) and is reduced in the event of a short break or activity; the type of persistent low back pain is rare and should be evaluated by medical professionals is.

Some authors suggest it is reasonable to limit the weight of the backpack to 10-15% of the child's weight. These authors acknowledge that this recommendation is not based on scientific research.

In one article, there is no correlation between backpack weight and back pain, and the authors do not intend to recommend backpack weight guides for children.

In large-scale studies, more than 33% of children ages 11-14 were aware of back pain. We report that students with heavy backpacks are more painful on the back than students with lighter weight. Heavy duty backpack is thought to increase lumbar intervertebral disc pressures, lumbar curve, and muscle fatigue, all of which can cause lower back pain. The ideal backpack is different, but it is not a substitute for using the correct transportation technique. Use two shoulder straps to distribute weight. The weight itself should not exceed 10-15% of the student 's weight. It is important to tighten the strap so that the weight is as close to the body as possible and bend the waist and knees or bend it in the backpack when lifting the backpack. These techniques help to alleviate some stress on the back. It is also useful to strengthen your back as they can build muscle and make it easy to carry

The best way to prevent back pain is to avoid overfilling the backpack. According to the American Orthopedic Society, children should limit their weights from 10% to 15% of their weight. A heavier backpack than this is too heavy to maintain a standing posture. This weight tilts the child, affecting the natural curvature of the lumbar and lumbar area, resulting in various orthopedic injuries. "Children now believe that backpacks are moving libraries, between schools and classes to carry heavier weight without rest, weight causes various back problems including scoliosis, This is not merely a child's health problem and because the back pain can interfere with the learning environment, children need to be healthy during the day, so they can go to school for free I will. "