by Dianne "Mac" Nechiporenko, MeritCare Occupational Therapist
Carry common sense in your backpack
Backpacks, with all their pockets and compartments, can hold a lot. And whether they're 8 or 18, students often have a lot to hold – textbooks, notebooks, gym clothes, sports shoes.
But if the pack is too heavy or worn improperly, it can actually cause short-term and long-term health problems – aching shoulders, neck pain (and resulting headaches), numbness and tingling in the arms, weakened muscles, even shortness of breath due to stooped posture. Long-term problems may include a curved spine. The following tips will help ensure a backpack can do its job safely.
Loading a pack
- The rule of thumb: a backpack should carry no more than 15 percent of the child's body weight. If a child weighs 100 pounds, for example, the backpack should not weigh more than 15 pounds. If a pack is too heavy, consider a backpack on wheels.
- Load heaviest items closest to the back, lightest items furthest away.
- Pack items neatly to keep books and materials from sliding around in the back, shifting its weight.
Wearing a pack
- Always wear both shoulder straps (make sure they're well-padded) to distribute weight evenly. Wearing a pack to one side can cause a person to lean to one side and curve the spine.
- Adjust the shoulder straps so the pack fits snugly to the back. A pack that hangs loosely from the back strains the muscles between the shoulders.
- Fasten the waist belt of the backpack for extra support. This also helps transfer the weight from the shoulders to the body's trunk and hips.
- The bottom of the pack should rest in the curve of the lower back.
If you take the time now to make sure a backpack is weighted and worn correctly, it can make a quality-of-life difference years later. Children can become adults with strong, healthy, straight backs.
Dianne "Mac" Nechiporenko is president of the North Dakota Occupational Therapy Association.
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