VOLUME 28 - 11 Back Pack Safety

New Doctor on Staff
Dr. Robert E. Morrow, one on the area's leading orthopedic surgeons has joined the staff of The Personal Injury Clinic. He is avilable for orthopedic consultations as well as many other procedures regarding cardiovascular and orthopedic health. Click on his name to review his credentials. Call the office if you would like to meet him.

Health Tips

VOLUME 26 - 11 Backpack Misuse

Backpack Misuse Leads to Chronic Back Pain

Back pain is pervasive among American adults, but a new and disturbing trend is emerging. Young children are suffering from back pain much earlier than previous generations, and the use of overweight backpacks is a contributing factor. In fact, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that backpack-related injuries sent more than 7,000 people to the emergency room in 2001 alone. "In my own practice, I have noticed a marked increase in the number of young children who are complaining about back, neck and shoulder pain."

"The first question I ask these patients is, 'Do you carry a backpack to school?' Almost always, the answer is 'yes.'" This new back pain trend among youngsters isn't surprising when you consider the disproportionate amounts of weight they carry in their backpacks - often slung over just one shoulder. According to a recent study conducted in Italy, it was found that the average child carries a backpack that would be the equivalent of a 39-pound burden for a 176-pound man, or a 29-pound load for a 132-pound woman. Of those children carrying heavy backpacks to school, 60 percent had experienced back pain as a result.

Preliminary results of studies being conducted in France show that the longer a child wears a backpack, the longer it takes for a curvature or deformity of the spine to correct itself. "The question that needs to be addressed next is, 'Does it ever return to normal?'" The results of these types of studies are especially important as more and more school districts - many of them in urban areas - remove lockers from the premises, forcing students to carry their books with them all day long.

The problem has become so widespread, in fact, that the California State Assembly recently passed legislation that would force school districts to develop ways of reducing the weight of students' backpacks. Similar legislation is being considered in New Jersey as well. Limiting the backpack's weight to no more than 10 percent of the child's body weight and urging the use of ergonomically correct backpacks are possible solutions.

What Can You Do?

We offer the following tips to help prevent the needless pain that backpack misuse could cause the students in your household.

• Make sure your child's backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause your child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back, rather than on the shoulders, by the straps.
• The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing your child to lean forward when walking.
• A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents most effectively. Make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on your child's back.
• Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry-and the heavier the backpack will be.
• Urge your child to wear both shoulder straps. Lugging the backpack around by one strap can cause the disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms, as well as low-back pain.
• Wide, padded straps are very important. Non-padded straps are uncomfortable, and can dig into your child's shoulders.
• The shoulder straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to your child's body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal misalignment and pain.
• If the backpack is still too heavy, talk to your child's teacher. Ask if your child could leave the heaviest books at school, and bring home only lighter hand-out materials or workbooks.
• Although the use of rollerpacks - or backpacks on wheels - has become popular in recent years, we now recommend that they be used cautiously and on a limited basis by only those students who are not physically able to carry a backpack. Some school districts have begun banning the use of rollerpacks because they clutter hallways, resulting in dangerous trips and falls.
• Consider the endorsed Samsonite Chiropak, a school bag designed to ease much of the stress that carrying books can place on one's body. Among other features, the Chiropak offers comfortable body-contact surfaces and an adjustable hip/waist belt.

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The Rear End Collision

These are becoming more frequent now and you need to know what to do if you are hit from behind or slip into someonw else. Follow these simple rules if you are involved in a car accident and are not hospitalized:

• Stay calm and reduce movements of the spine
• Ice packs on the spine and neck for 5 minutes per hour will help for the first few days
• See your chiropractic physician right away - He is the only provider trained to evlauate spinal subluxations

For more information, click here!

THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL OFFERS

Computerized exercise instructions. Ask at the clinic.

Spinal Decompression: Enroll now if you have arm or leg pain, numbness or loss of strength.

Family Vouchers are now avilable on request. Give any family member or close freind a voucher for a compimentary consultation and spinal examination, spinal screening, blood pressure screen, or body composition screen. Click Here and ask for a family voucher to be sent to you.

We have a new exercise program sheets for all parts of the body. These protocols range from simple stretching for increased range of motion to resistive movements for strength and rehabilitation. We can print simple descriptions for you at your next visit. Arth Aid - Detox now at bulk rates. Many people are requesting several pouches at a time for consistent relief. We have a bulk rate. Call to ask how you can save.

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