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Last year, chiropractic care could have saved about 3,300 children age 5-14 that were treated in emergency rooms for this back-to-school related activity. A San Diego chiropractor and spinal decompression specialist reveals how this could have all been avoided with advanced chiropractic care. It is important to understand what it is and how you can avoid it happening to your children.

Return to school is an exciting time for millions of children and parents all around the world. After a long needed summer vacation, many kids are going back to school. And to many moms and dads it means shopping. This includes school supplies, paper, pens, pencils, notebooks, the latest style of clothes and probably the most important is backpacks.

Backpacks are an admired item. Millions of elementary, middle, and high school students are heading to their classes with filled backpacks thrown over their shoulders. While hauling a backpack to school every day may seem harmless enough, but it can cause sore neck and back problems and injuries for students who don’t pack or carry their backpacks correctly. Those weighty loads can cause repetitive stress injuries and spinal ache that will get worse with age and may last a life span.

Some research studies actually say that if they are used improperly, they are outright dangerous and can cause permanent damage to your child’s spine. This can possibly lead to herniated discs and arthritis.

Here are some appalling back pain and back pack information. The Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that greater than three thousand children aged five to fourteen were treated in emergency rooms last year for injuries related to backpacks. Backpack-related injury is up 256 percent since 1996. According to researchers at the University of Michigan spine program, up to sixty percent of children will experience back pain by the time they reach age of eighteen. An Auburn University study shows weighty backpacks may be a serious threat to spinal progress. In their survey sample, the average pack was seventeen percent of the child’s body weight. This is the equivalent of a 150 pound adult carrying a 26 pound backpack. 67.2% of the children examined during the study suffered muscle soreness, 50.8% back pain, 24.5% numbness and 14.7% shoulder pain. Studies at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center also show overfilled backpacks as the cause of shoulder or lower-back pain and poor posture in kids.

A research study published in the journal named Spine found that six percent of 10-year-olds complain of back pain. Ten to fifteen percent of twelve year olds reportedly had back pain. A new scientific experiment found that transporting a backpack alters the mobility of spinal bones. This leads to restricted movement which is a risk factor for the cause of back pain.

Another study used magnetic resonance imaging to examine the effect of backpacks on the intervertebral discs of the spine. These are the fluid-filled cushions between spinal bones. According to the article, backpacks affect the fluid in the discs. This is a risk factor for disc herniation and osteoarthritis.

There is new research that reveals an alarming danger associated with childhood backpack use. This research stems from the growing number of reports of childhood back pain in recent years. By the end of their teen years, 60% of youths experienced at least one back pain episode. New research indicates that this increase may be due to the improper use of backpacks in children. Research presented at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation’s annual meeting in San Francisco stated that children carrying a load of twenty five percent of their body weight had balance problems and were more likely to experience injuries from falls.

It’s obvious from all the research that can be dangerous and can cause damage to your child’s spine if they are not used properly. One of the biggest safety hazards with backpacks is overloading them. Many children are carrying up to 40 lbs. and are hurting themselves. If your children are feeling headaches, neck aches, bad posture, achy and strained muscles, low back pain, muscle spasms, tingling hands, and increased scoliosis complications, they are carrying too much weight improperly.

An important thing to consider is that your children should carry no more than fifteen percent of their body weight on their spine. Here are some backpack weight guidelines to go by to prevent injury. A child weighing forty pounds should carry no more than six pounds. A child weighing 75 lbs should carry no more than 11 lbs on their back. A child weighing 100 lbs should carry no more than 15 lbs on their spine. A child weighing 125 lbs should carry no more than 18 lbs on their back. A child weighing 150 lbs should carry no more than 22.5 lbs on their spine.

To reduce injury, here are some more tips on wearing backpacks properly. Make sure the weight is distributed evenly throughout your spine. Generally put heavier items on the bottom and this keeps the weight off the shoulders and improves posture overall. Have your child wear both shoulder straps unless there is a specially designed backpack that is designed to use only one strap across the body. Carrying a heavy backpack using one strap can shift the weight to one side of the body which can lead to misaligned spinal bones, muscle spasms, low back pain and walking improperly. Get a backpack with well padded or air-filled straps that support the back. Non-padded straps can dig into your shoulders and cause pain and injury in the shoulders. If the back pack comes with a waist strap, make sure your child uses it across the waist.

Many injuries actually occur from simply lifting the pack off the ground. To avoid this, make sure your child always lifts with their legs bent and their backs straight up and not bent forward.
Also make sure that your children only take what they need to school. The extra weight adds up fast!

Ensure that your child has their spines checked by a San Diego chiropractor to make sure their spine is in proper alignment and they are not setting themselves up for permanent injury. You can even bring them in with their backpacks to get tested and a good chiropractor or spinal decompression doctor will make sure that they fit correctly.