Backpacks may ruin your body!

Since we were in Kindergarten and we are carrying a backpack. As we grow, our books,and all other course materials  become more and heavier. However, some schools started to notice the disadvantages of this massive load on the students' health and minimize the amount of books that each student should carry by providing lockers for them.

What does this weight do?

The bad effects of this weight are very critical and unfortunately, most people are not aware of them whether they were parents, students, teachers or college students.

 We are  born with  a fabulous structure that holds our body upright, bear weight,make us able to walk, sit,stand..e.t.c without the spine you can't perform your daily activities normally. It's formed in a perfect way in order to serve all these functions, any change in it's alignment will reduce from it's efficiency. 

Wearing a backpack will distort the normal curvatures in your back which will deteriorate your posture, balance and coordination.

How can this load deteriorate the strong spine?

It's true that the spine is very strong, it's formed from bones, ligaments, discs, nerves and blood vessels but if we are harming it for years and years it's strength won't be the same. The extended use of  these bags  with tons of books and other materials by time will cause imbalance in the entire body.

Changes that will happen:

1-The person will lean forward due to the heavy load on his  back so he will lean to balance. 

2-Rounded shoulders.

3-Forward neck.

4-Muscle spasm and irritation the rib cage joints.

5-Deviation of the spine to one side(as in the picture) if the person is wearing a one strap backpack or even for women who carry a bag on one side only. 

 All these changes will result in fatigue,back pain and imbalance even for children. So imagine a boy with 10 years old having a back pain? it's crucial to think about it and start to find a solution before your children end up with back conditions such as, scoliosis.  

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a condition that happens in the back due to the malalignment of the spine. Around 3 out of 100 people have scoliosis. It could be structural   (you born with it) or functional (due to bad posture) which is our topic. The spine will deviate to one side and form a S or C curve. Usually it's formed when the person carries a one strap bag by the time and with the increasing load the spine starts to deviate resulting in

1-The body will tilt to one side.

2- Elevated shoulder on the side where you carry the bag. 

3-Uneven waist with a tendency to lean to one side.

4-One leg might be shorter than the other leg.

5-Breathing problems

6-Back, neck or knee pain.

One strap bags

One strap bags are even worse than the double strap, however, if you usually wear them on one side try to switch so you won't put the load only on side. Always ask someone to check your spine alignment, shoulder levels, leg length and waist level. And don't put too much stuff in your bag. Also one major mistake i see among women that they carry their hand bags on their elbow instead of shoulder as a way of fashion. It's extremely dangerous as it compresses the nerves and may lead to neurological problems not only in the elbow, it can reach to your neck as all the nerves are connected.

If it's not noticed and treated earlier, as you grow up it become worse and worse and might require a surgery or a  brace. 

The test for scoliosis is very simple, doctors usually do it for children during the regular visits and you as a non-health profession may do it for your kids,students or even friends. 

First, the person who wants to be examined must take off his T-shirt. 

Then you will look at his spine, if you find any slight deviation like in the picture this may be a sign of scoliosis. 

To differentiate  between functional scoliosis and structural. You will do the forward bending test:

1-Ask the person to lean forward with straight knees.

2-Ask him to reach his fingertips toward his feet or the floor.

*If you notice a hump on one side that means a structural scoliosis which needs an immediate visit for to an orthopedic doctor.

*If there's no hump although there's a deviation in the spine while standing, that means that it's a functional scoliosis which can be corrected by exercises and you need to consult a physical therapist. 

Scoliosis examination

To read more about scoliosis

Lumbar Disc( low back disc)

 A lumbar disc is a condition where the disc between two vertebrae in the spine starts to bulge out and cause compression on the nerve which will cause pain. 

Now how can a backpack cause a lumbar disc?

A study was done in 2010 about the effect of backpacks on the lumbar spine by using the Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The study was done on elementary school students who carry backpacks of 10-22% their weights.

They conclude that Backpack loads are responsible for a significant amount of back pain in children, which in part, may be due to changes in lumbar disc height or curvature.

You don't need to be scared from what I mentioned, but the thing is you should be aware and relate your pain with the things you do daily.

How to wear a backpack in a proper way?

There are many solutions that you can do to reduce the harm of the load on your spine:- 

1-The weight of the backpack shouldn't exceed 5-10% of your body weight. 

2-Wear a double strap bag rather than one strap.

3-Padded shoulder straps are important. They are more comfortable than non-padded straps and prevent the straps from digging into your shoulders.

4-Pack the bulky objects away from the area that will rest on your back. An uneven surface rubbing against your back could cause painful blisters.

5-Buy a backpack that's suitable for your age and size. 

6-Put the heavier items on the bottom and against the back to keep the weight off of your shoulders and maintain a better posture.

7-Get a rolling backpack for your kids. Pulling the bag is not so preferable but switching between pulling and carrying the backpack on the back is a good solution. 

8-Schools should provide lockers for the students so they don't carry all their books at once. 

I hope that by now you got an idea about the disadvantages of backpacks load whether they are double straps or one strap. Regular checking for your kids and students spine structure is highly recommended, the earlier you discover the problem the better is the prognosis. 

If you are working in a school, increase the awareness about this issue for the students and the parents. 

Your questions are welcomed :)

Ayaa Wail Alghouti

Physiotherapy Student