When I arrived to America, one of the weirdest things I noticed is that both boys and girls in America wear backpacks to school. And I noticed that backpacks are so much heavier here. It is so due to the enormous size and weight of textbooks in America. It would not be a problem if student carries only one textbook a day, but most of the time you have to carry more than three at least plus all kinds of school supplies. It was difficult for me to get used to me, but I never heard Americans complain about this as much as I did. What I want to talk about in this post is how dangerous heavy backpacks can be for you.
Obviously that wearing backpack creates serious problem for your back. Overload can compress the spine, what can affect growth and also leads to all kinds of back issues. A lot of people wear backpack only on one shoulder what makes person to lean to one side and curve spine. The pressure from straps can cause pain in neck, arms and hands. Interference with nerves and circulation can be caused by straps that are too narrow or tight what can contribute to weakness and numbness in the arms and hands. If the backpack size is not right, the weight of the kid is not distributed right what can result in strain or damage of back and stomach muscles. The body posture and walking pattern also change and because of this knee pain may occur. Heavy backpack can also cause trouble for others if it falls or hits somebody.
Here are few recommendations in order to avoid all these kinds of injuries. First of all you should remember that “the weight of a backpack should be less than 10-15 percent of a child’s body weight”. Try to choose backpack made from more lightweight fabric. You should wear it on both shoulders so there is no too much stress on one side. Remember to pack heavier things low towards the back so that the backpack stays closer to the body. Avoid too much pressure on the body by using well-padded straps and adjust them so you feel comfortable. The last thing you can do is to check if everything you carry in the backpack is what you actually need. Think carefully and leave things you will not need at home. It will free some space and save your back from additional weight.
Hello, my name is Stephanie! I find it very intriguing that you were able to notice the strain book bags have on a person’s back after coming here to America. This post really supports the fact that Americans may be transporting their books in a very detrimental manner. I used to notice back pain after long day of carrying my heavy book bag. I also used to carry my book bag on one side and never realized I could be curving my spine. Something such as that could have a significant impact on my back in the future. The statistic about having the book bag be less than 15% of a child’s body weight was very interesting. I found this link in which really analyzes how book bags affect cervical and shoulder posture ( http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0004951414603020/1-s2.0-S0004951414603020-main.pdf?_tid=07bf3d94-5c1f-11e5-9652-00000aab0f02&acdnat=1442372584_883a85ca6e53432e338d2226efebde99 ). This study looks at such things as how a book bag that is 17% over a person’s body weight can cause the head to shift out of alignment with the body, causing pain.