Backpack Safety Tips
Think carrying a backpack is “no big deal� Think again. The average child’s backpack weighs 12 pounds and gets lifted 10 times a day. That equals 120 pounds lifted each day. That works out to be about 21, 600 pounds lifted in a 180-day school year!!!
How exactly does carrying a backpack affect the spine? Common sense tells us that a heavy load distributed unevenly day after day causes stress to a growing spinal column. More than 50% of youths experience at least one low back pain episode by the end of their teen years. Repetitive activities such as hauling a heavy backpack over one shoulder each and every day can lead to serious postural misalignments and imbalances, creating subluxations of the spinal column. These subluxations may cause nerve interference, which can lead to a variety of symptoms and decrease a child’s immune response.
Carrying a heavy backpack in which weight is improperly distributed can result in poor posture; spinal column distortion; muscle strain; headaches; back, neck and arm pain; and nerve damage.
Proper lifting techniques are extremely important. The following is proper backpack lifting technique and should be demonstrated to your child:
Face the backpack before you lift it
Bend at the knees
Using both hands, check the weight of the pack
Lift with legs, NOT your back
Carefully slip on one shoulder strap at a time
NEVER sling the pack on one shoulder
Packing your child’s backpack properly can decrease strain on the spinal column:
Pack the heaviest objects close to the body
Place bumpy objects on the outside, away from the back
Having your child checked regularly by a chiropractor to remove subluxations and insure proper posture during the growing years is very important. Remember, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.â€
Dr. Jessica L. Caruso graduated from New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, NY.
She has a solid background in examination and diagnosis of the musculoskeletal system. Her background in personal training has provided her with a thorough and diverse knowledge base in rehabilitation exercises for many of her patients.
Dr. Caruso has taught Anatomy & Physiology as well as Nutrition at Hesser College as an adjunct faculty member.
Dr. Caruso has had the pleasure of working as the local chiropractor for the cast and crew of groups including ?So You Think You Can Dance? and ?Dancing with the Stars.? She recently participated in a round table healthcare discussion with a 2008 presidential candidate.
Along with her husband, Dr. Caruso owns the online organic store Organic Virtues (www.OrganicVirtues.com), which provides affordable organic, natural and eco-friendly products for the home, garden and office.
Dr. Caruso also practices reiki energy healing and teaches meditation classes at Healing Hands Chiropractic(www.HealingHandsNH.com). She is also Webster Technique Certified; a very specific technique used with expectant mothers. Being certified in this technique has allowed Dr. Caruso to work closely with many other healthcare practitioners in her community such as midwives, doulas, naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists and childbirth educators.
