Live well Polk Help lighten your students’ load

One of the most important components in any student’s school wardrobe is the backpack. Carrying the right one can set the tone for the whole year. UGA or Bama? Captain America or Black Panther? Zebra or cheetah? These are crucial decisions. What is often lost in the selection process, however, is the importance of choosing a backpack that is built for safety.

Backpacks can be really practical, but, if they’re too heavy or if they are used incorrectly, they can put a strain on muscles and joints and may cause back pain.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e Consumer Product Safety Commission, thousands of people are treated each year for backpack-related injuries. As much as forty percent of those injuries happen to children between the ages of 5 and 18.

If worn incorrectly, a heavy pack’s force will pull a child backward. If the student leans forward to compensate, the spine can compress unnaturally.

Backpacks are designed to distribute the weight carried across the body’s strongest muscles. Strains and problems with posture can occur when the packs are worn incorrectly. The most popular style of carrying the backpack over one shoulder causes the weight to be distributed unequally, which can lead to back pain.

T h e A m e r i c a n Association of Orthopedic Surgeons offers some suggestions for backpack usage:

Kids should carry no more than 15 to 20 percent of their body weight.

Both straps should be used to keep the weight better distributed, and shoulder straps should be adjusted to keep the load close to the back.

Heavier items should be removed or organized to place them low and toward the center of the pack.

Students should bend at the knees when lifting backpacks.

If possible, only those items needed for the day should be carried. Other books should be left at home or in a locker or storage bin.

There are additional tips you can follow to help your student avoid backpack─related pain. These include:

Purchase a backpack appropriate for the size of your child.

Choose a lightweight backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps, a padded back for increased comfort and a waist belt, if possible.

Watch your child put on or take off the backpack to see whether it is a struggle.

Encourage your child to place heavier books in their locker while at school.

Encourage your child to let you know if they experience any numbness, pain or tingling in the arms, legs, neck, shoulders or back.

If your child experiences any of those symptoms, have them see their physician as soon as possible. Students often carry a heavy load as it is. There’s no need to weigh them down more than necessary.

Sean Burrows is the Floyd Athletic Trainer at Rockmart High School.