Avoid slinging the bags over one shoulder

When your kids go back to school, you must make sure their backpacks are properly loaded and fitted or else they could get injured. Make no mistake about it: overloaded or incorrectly worn backpacks will injure muscles and joints, leading to severe pains in the neck, back and shoulders and to spinal problems that affect posture.

Yet, while parents consider new backpacks as important back-to-school items, most parents tend to disregard their potential to cause injuries to children and teenagers. A survey among parents with children of school age revealed these disturbing findings:

• Kids do complain about backpacks being too heavy and 52 percent of the parents acknowledged that, but close to three-fourths (73 percent) of parents do not think anybody has ever been injured by carrying a heavy backpack.

• When they buy backpacks, nearly 7 out of 10 parents (69 percent) buy them for style, while only about a third (36 percent) considers safety as the primary concern.

• Almost three-fourths of parents (73 percent) stuff anything that will fit into the backpacks, but only about one-fourth (26 percent) are aware of how to pack these bags safely.

Backpack injuries can include chronic back pain, pinched nerves, neck pains and spinal injuries. Over 40 million children use backpacks to carry books and school supplies, and at least half of them are likely to be carrying overloaded backpacks.

According to the US Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC), injuries from backpacks and book bags resulted in over 7,000 emergency room visits for treatment every year. About half of the injuries hit children between ages 5 and 14. The problem has become big enough to awaken calls for proposed legislation in two states.

Parents should make sure to select backpacks based on fit and function, not appearance. Children use the bag every day, all year long so pick backpacks that have padded straps and fit the children’s size.

Parents must also learn how to pack the bag properly so they can teach their children how to do it. The child should not carry more than 15 percent of body weight.

When using backpacks, children should be taught to

• Avoid slinging the bags over one shoulder only as this can strain muscles;

• Bend with both knees, not bend at the waist, when putting on or lifting a heavy pack;

• Organize their packing so that heavier items are nearest to the center of the back; and,

• Perform exercises that strengthen the back muscles used to carry backpacks.