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Special to Austin Family
Magazine, February 2008
Books. School supplies. Lunch. Sports equipment. The kitchen
sink. You name it, and it’s probably in your child’s backpack.
But a backpack that’s too heavy can cause neck, shoulder and
back pain, and lead to posture problems. If you notice your
child is straining to carry their pack, it’s time to lighten the
load.
“Put your child’s backpack on a scale,” recommends
Sara Woods, M.D., a
pediatrician with The Austin
Diagnostic Clinic in Austin. “It shouldn’t weigh more than 10 to
15 percent of your child’s body weight.”
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The kind of pack your child uses
is also as important as what’s in it. “Although your child’s
only backpack criteria may be whether it has a favorite
character or if it’s a particular brand, mom and dad need to
consider other features,” says Woods. “The pack shouldn’t be any
wider or longer than your child’s back and should have wide,
padded, shoulder straps that can be adjusted. Firm padding in
the back of the pack can also increase comfort and deter
slouching. A waist strap should be used to help distribute the
weight of the pack across the back and hips.”
Many times a backpack has all the right features, but it’s being
carried the wrong way, adds Woods. “Slinging a backpack over
just one shoulder or letting it hang loosely below the waist can
really strain the back. Make sure it’s worn over both shoulders
and rests snugly against the back.”
The best way to prevent backpack-related problems is to watch
the pack being carried. “Make sure your child isn’t having
trouble putting the pack on or leaning forward or backward with
it on,” says Woods. “You’ll save your child from unnecessary
aches now and chronic pain later.”
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The Austin Diagnostic Clinic (ADC) is a multi-specialty clinic
with
physicians representing 24 medical specialties at six
locations. |
