San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:
As the father of a soon to be 5 year old daughter, I am concerned about her posture...even more so because I am a chiropractor, and posture is my specialty.
While my daughter has not started wearing a backpack yet, I am concerned about when she does.
Here's an excerpt from an article on the Children's Hospital Boston website entitled:
Is my child's backpack too heavy?
Many children today are coming home with backpacks laden with several books, notebooks, calculators and school supplies, often bent over under the strain of carrying it all. Some students end up carrying bags that are equal to 30 percent of their body weight, according to some studies. Pierre d'Hemecourt, MD , Sports Medicine specialist at Children's Hospital Boston, offered the following information on the risks associated with heavy backpacks.
Can heavy backpacks cause back problems for my child?
This issue is a bit controversial, as there is no specific proof as to whether backpacks are a direct cause of back problems. During adolescence kids are going through growth spurts and so their bones and posture are susceptible to injury from playing sports, as well as from heavy backpacks. However, the AmericanAcademy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Physical Therapy Association have set out guidelines that should be used with backpacks to reduce the risks associated with them.
I can tell you this…In my professional opinion; backpacks are a primary cause of Forward Head Posture in children . We are living organisms, and we adapt to our external environment. If you are a child and you are wearing a heavy backpack that contains up to 30% of your bodyweight, day in and day out…your body has to adapt to this…and yes, permanent (but not irreversible) changes can and will occur.
The good news is...problems can be prevented in the first place with proper education and planning. Life is a balance scale...with positives on one side, and negatives on the other. There are backpacks that are more posture friendly than others. Checkout this video entitled: Backpacks without back pain . These are a little expensive, but there are cheaper options.
Ergoworks has some reasonably priced backpacks for children . You can also find guidelines for backpack weight vs. your child's bodyweight.
Anyway...just like most everything, there are best practices for backpacks and children. A little bit of planning will go a long way when it comes to minimizing backpack stress and back pain.
And don't forget to have your child's posture checked at least every 6 months by a chiropractor. Early detection can go a long way when it comes to correcting postural problems in children.
For a complimentary postural assessment for your children at Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco...call 415-392-2225.
Google Map of Executive Express Chiropractic
San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:
As the father of a soon to be 5 year old daughter, I am concerned about her posture...even more so because I am a chiropractor, and posture is my specialty.
While my daughter has not started wearing a backpack yet, I am concerned about when she does.
Here's an excerpt from an article on the Children's Hospital Boston website entitled:
Is my child's backpack too heavy?
Many children today are coming home with backpacks laden with several books, notebooks, calculators and school supplies, often bent over under the strain of carrying it all. Some students end up carrying bags that are equal to 30 percent of their body weight, according to some studies. Pierre d'Hemecourt, MD , Sports Medicine specialist at Children's Hospital Boston, offered the following information on the risks associated with heavy backpacks.
Can heavy backpacks cause back problems for my child?Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Physical Therapy Association have set out guidelines that should be used with backpacks to reduce the risks associated with them.
This issue is a bit controversial, as there is no specific proof as to whether backpacks are a direct cause of back problems. During adolescence kids are going through growth spurts and so their bones and posture are susceptible to injury from playing sports, as well as from heavy backpacks. However, the American
I can tell you this…In my professional opinion; backpacks are a primary cause of Forward Head Posture in children . We are living organisms, and we adapt to our external environment. If you are a child and you are wearing a heavy backpack that contains up to 30% of your bodyweight, day in and day out…your body has to adapt to this…and yes, permanent (but not irreversible) changes can and will occur.
The good news is...problems can be prevented in the first place with proper education and planning. Life is a balance scale...with positives on one side, and negatives on the other. There are backpacks that are more posture friendly than others. Checkout this video entitled: Backpacks without back pain . These are a little expensive, but there are cheaper options.
Ergoworks has some reasonably priced backpacks for children . You can also find guidelines for backpack weight vs. your child's bodyweight.
Anyway...just like most everything, there are best practices for backpacks and children. A little bit of planning will go a long way when it comes to minimizing backpack stress and back pain.
And don't forget to have your child's posture checked at least every 6 months by a chiropractor. Early detection can go a long way when it comes to correcting postural problems in children.
For a complimentary postural assessment for your children at Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco...call 415-392-2225.
Google Map of Executive Express Chiropractic