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Backpacks
& Kids
By Nadia Nisar
It's
back to school and back to backpacks. And for children
today, that can mean trouble.
The average child lugs around about 20 pounds of books
and other school paraphernalia
daily, an unhealthy and sometimes hazardous exercise.
“We think of muscular strain
coming from trauma, like an accident,” says a physical
therapist. "But wearing a backpack that's too heavy,
over time you can end up with an injury.
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"You can have pressure
on nerves (from the straps), and the nerves travel
through muscles, so with muscle spasms you can impinge
the nerve and get tingling and numbness in your
hands."
Most children don't wear their backpacks correctly
-- with both straps -- because it isn't cool. But
being cool can lead to some serious pain and long-term
health problems.
"Wearing the backpack on one side puts a strain
on the muscles and tissue," Says the theaqrpist.
"When you get muscular strain to that degree
and for that length (of time,) it can actually pull
the vertebrae out of line. It looks like curvature
of the spine. It's not necessarily that shoulder
that hurts, but the muscles are having to compensate.
Your child could have pain elsewhere, including
headaches."
In response to concerns about heavier loads, backpack
designers have begun to market ergonomically correct
packs.
"Kids are going to doctors and chiropractors,
and they have the backs of 40-year- olds,"
says Leigh Bakum, product-line manager for Nike's
global line. She guided a team of designers through
18 months of heavy-lifting backpack research.
"We think the problems are linked to the loads
they're being forced to carry," Bakum says.
"Lockers are going away, and books are getting
bigger. They're carrying it on their back. We were
in Hong Kong in January, and it was front- page
news there."
JanSport, the leading backpack seller in the United
States, has put really wide straps on its ergo packs
and filled them with a honeycomb of plastic gel
to cushion the shoulders. |
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Wearing
a Backpack
If the pack is too heavy, take out some
books and carry them (doctors recommend
carrying no more than 20 percent of your
body weight).
Wear both straps of the pack.
Wear backpacks with padded shoulders and
a waist belt; fasten the waist belt.
Adjust the straps so the pack sits on the
hips and pelvic area, not on the top or
back of the buttocks.
Keep the weight in the pack close to your
body. Arrange the heaviest items closest
to your back.
If you already have back problems, arrange
with the school to keep a second set of
books at home.
SOURCE: American Occupational Therapy Association
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How
to pick a pack
Pick a price, pick a style, then see how
it feels, says George Jimenez, merchandise
manager at Oshman's in Ridgmar Town Square
in Fort Worth, Texas.
All the backpack lines offer a basic style
and a more- elaborate style. See if there's
one with a few more or fewer bells and whistles
that is similar to the pack you want.
Look at how much space your children are
going to need for their lunch, books and
compact disc player. Even if they don't
take them to school or even own them, children
want a pouch for a CD player and cellular
telephone.
Look for a padded back and padded straps.
Adjust the straps and see how it feels.
Take a few books with you. Get the backpack
that feels the best.
Jimenez doesn't recommend the mesh bags
or the clear plastic bags because they are
not as durable, but, he says, a lot of schools
require them.
Rolling packs are just not cool unless you're
in college or graduate school, Jimenez says.
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Nike, which has three
new ergonomically correct BioKNX packs in its fall
line, lined its packs' shoulder straps with little
capsules of air. The BioKNX packs also have padded
neck and lower- back supports and a thick plastic
disc in the center that curves around a child's
spine to center the load.
"It helps place the heaviest loads in the optimal
spot and has clips to keep the books from shifting,
because we know the kids who wear our backpacks
are very active," Bakum says.
Ergonomics, though, will only get your child so
far if he loads too much into the pack or slings
it over one shoulder.
"My recommendation is, your pack should never
weigh more than 20 percent of your weight,"
Says the therapist. "Wear the backpack the
way that it was intended, to distribute the weight.
At the very least, alternate which shoulder you
wear it over. The best advice is to wear it as it
was intended."
Even though it may not look cool, fastening the
waist belt will help ease the load, too. Packs tend
to bounce and bang, and that can be painful. The
belt secures it better so you don't get the banging;
it keeps the pack still and the weight distributed
more evenly."
Anything that distributes the weight will make the
pack more comfortable, but the load is still the
same. You're still carrying the weight. It's like
a person poking you with one finger hurts more than
if they push on you with their hand. Air cushioning
would make it more comfortable, but it still doesn't
change how much weight you have. Be logical. If
your kids are leaning backward when they put it
on, it's probably not a good thing. |
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