Sometimes children carry more weight than they should, but back or other problems are more related to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle than to backpacks
We’ve heard it a thousand times. And surely we have said so many others. “Sit Up Straight” or “grab the shopping bags well, you’re going to injure your back”.
Now that the return to school begins, many parents are considering what kind of backpack buy your children to avoid back problems. But what is the truth in all these statements?
In 2019, a group of physiotherapists led by Diane Slater carried out a systematic review of multiple studies on back pain that questions many of the messages that have been given on this subject over the years.
- As explained by the Vice Dean of the Association of Physiotherapists of the Community of Madrid, Paul Herrera:“There are no studies linking long-term back injuries to backpacks. For many years, messages such as “be careful with backpacks, excessive weight damages your back” have been launched, but this is not the case.
The injuries that can be caused by excess weight are very relative.
- “If you take it very badly, you lift it off the ground abruptly, you can hurt yourself… but Among the kids these things do not happenit’s not usual,” says Herrera.
The physiotherapist explains that “if the children were to be loaded all day with 20 kilo backpacks”, injuries could occur. But in the day to day of the kids this does not happen.
Although it is true that sometimes children carry more weight than they shouldback or other problems, are more related to obesity and sedentary lifestyle than backpacks.
A child who plays sports or physical exercise can usually carry a weighted backpack without much problem. But a child who spends 8 hours a day sitting down playing the console and without lifting a weight, logically when he does it, it is difficult for him
Vice Dean of the College of Physiotherapists of the Community of Madrid
In other words, injuries do not usually occur from the weight of backpacks. What does happen is that carrying more weight, or load it wrong, it can be the final trigger of some previous problem.
In any case, as Pablo Herrera explains, “these are short-term problems, contractures, increased muscle tension. In the long term they do not usually cause problems.”
Shoulder or trolley backpack?
It depends. Physiotherapists insist on the need to apply common sense when deciding.
And the decision is going to depend on two things: the amount of weight that the child is going to carry and the time go to carry the backpack on your back.
On a short journey in which not much weight is carried, if the child is trained and, in addition, has to go up or down stairs to access class or on the way to school, the most comfortable would be the shoulder ones
Vice Dean of the College of Physiotherapists of the Community of Madrid
On the other hand, if the student is going to make very long journeys with the backpack on his back, it is best to the car ones.
Organize the weight in the backpack
At this point, the recommendations on how to organize the backpack They would be very similar to those applied by mountaineers and hikers when preparing for long days of hiking.
- The heaviest always located in the part of the backpack that is closest to the back. In this case it would be the books and notebooks.
- The lightest in the front. In school backpacks it would be the space reserved for the pencil case or the toiletry bag.
- The straps must always be well adjusted. If not, the backpack will “dance” and the weight will go to the hips, which is quite uncomfortable.
- For those who use car backpacks, the weight arrangement is not essential when handling them.
In any case, the expert insists that it is necessary to “remove fears and not be alarmists. Just apply common sense.”
And the most important, increase children’s daily physical activityavoid a sedentary lifestyle, and provide them with tools to be active.