Protect young backs - help prevent back pain and postural issues in kids!
Back pain is a condition that we usually associate with growing old, however, we are seeing more and more children presenting with back and neck pain. This pain can often be traced back to carrying heavy backpacks, poor studying techniques and the dreaded laptop!
Here is a few tips on picking the right back pain, fitting and packing it correctly:
The right backpack should:
- Be lightweight so that it doesn't add a lot of load to your child.
- Have 2 wide adjustable shoulder straps. Straps that are too narrow will dig into your childs shoulders.
- Have a padded back, which will increase comfort but also protect kids from being poked by sharp edges on books or stationary inside the pack.
- Have multiple compartments to help distribute the weight evenly.
What about the right size?
The top of the backpack should not be any more than 3 cm higher than the shoulders so that your child can look up at the celing without hitting the bag. The bottom of the bag should sit slightly lower than the bony part of your waist that you can put your hands on (the illiac crest). If your childs bag has a waist strap, it should wrap around the body just below this crest. This enables some of the weight to be taken by your hips, rather than completely on the shoulders.
Some bags also have a sternal strap which connects the 2 shoulder straps. it might not be 'cool', but this will help to distribute the load across the shoulders and should sit 6cm below the collarbones.
And fitting the school bag?
The center of mass of the pack should be at waist height. It should fit the body comfortably and have adjustable buckles so that it can be lowered or raised to the best position. There should be a waist belt that keeps the pack in place rather than moving around, and multiple compartments that allow heavy items to be packed close to the body.
The straps should be tight enough so that the bag is held against the torso, and not be leaning away or swinging. There should not be a gap between the bag and the shoulders. Conversely, it shouldn't be so tight as to dig into the underarms.
The weight of the backpack should not exceed 10% of body weight.
If you have any questions regarding back pack fittings please contact us on 95801985 to arrange a FREE assessment to get this important factor right and reduce the risk of pain by eliminating the source.