““The BackpackThe BackpackPredicament”Predicament” ““The BackpackThe BackpackPredicament”Predicament”

Facts and Figures Facts and Figures

for Educators and for Educators and

Healthcare ProfessionalsHealthcare Professionals

The Beginning of an Epidemic!!

“By the end of their teen years, close to 74% of youths experience at least one back pain episode.”

-- Spine, 2002

RESEARCH• Back pain leads to more than 19

million doctor visits per year, according to the US Department of Human Health and Services.

RESEARCH• As of 2006, the Consumer Product

Safety Commission estimates that 7,353 emergency room visits each year result from injuries related to backpacks. The CPSC also reports that backpack-related injuries are up 330% since 1996.

• Lumbar Pain• Cervical Pain• Shoulder Pain• Dorsal Pain• Fractures due to Falls• Tripping and Falling

EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS

RESEARCH• In a study of parental knowledge

of school backpack weight and contents, most parents (96%) had never checked their child’s backpack weight; 34% had never checked the backpack contents.

Texas A&M University 2002

RESEARCH• Based on the current literature,

the value of 10-15% body weight is a justified weight limit.

--Spine, 2004

• According to the American Chiropractic Association, backpacks are the leading cause of back and shoulder pain for millions of children and adolescents each year, and children are suffering from back pain much earlier than previous generations.

• The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons warns parents that backpacks that are too heavy or are warn incorrectly could injure a child’s bones, muscles and joints.

A recent scientific experiment found that carrying a backpack alters the mobility of spinal bones, leading to restricted movement – a risk factor for back pain

Another study using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the effect of backpacks on their intervertebral discs of the spine, the fluid-filled “pillows” between spinal bones. According to the article, backpacks alter the fluid content of these discs, a risk factor for disc herniation (“slipped” disc) and osteoarthritis.

Surg Radiol Anat 1999; 21;109-13 Spine 1999; 15; 24:1015-22

“School backpacks, parents and educators complain, are getting heavier, bulging with textbooks and loose leaf binders and sometimes musical instruments, laptops and lunch bags. As a result, orthopedists warn children are increasingly at risk for back pain, muscular strain and hunched posture.”

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons“In a recent survey by the American Academy of Orthopedics, ’71% felt that backpacks are a clinical problem for children.’”

American Physical Therapy Association“A too-heavy or improperly worn backpack may harm joints and muscles, especially young ones.”

Do the Math

12 pounds in the backpack

X 10 lifts per day

120 pounds per day

X 180 school days per year

21,60021,600 pounds lifted in one school year= nearly 11 tons = 6 mid-sized

automobiles

To quantify how much weight children are likely to carry in their backpacks, researchers from Milan, Italy ascertained the weight of all the backpacks used by sixth graders at several schools.

The average load carried daily was 20.5 lbs., reaching as much as 27.5 lbs. with a maximum daily load averaging 25.3 lbs. Over one-third of the students carried more than 30% of their body weight at least once during the week.

Backpacks Aren’t Just Causing Problems in the United States

Zimbler S. Pediatric Alert 2000; 25 (1):5

The US National Safety Council makes theserecommendations when selecting a backpack for a child:• Choose a backpack designed for safety and

comfort• Extra padding in the shoulder straps• Lumbar support padding• Waist belt/strap for support• Reflective material for increased visibility at

darkMarch 5, 2008, Washington Post

www.backpacksafe.com

E-mailParent….Can you tell me how I go about getting something done for my 12 year-old daughter who carries approximately 35 lbs on her back because of her backpack? She weighs around 110 lbs and complains about terrible back pain every day! She is in the 7th grade. I tried to move her backpack out of my Tahoe, and I am 34, and I could barely budge it. Can anything be done? Where do I start? Please help us out… Thanks!!!!

Today they’ll be learning hundreds of things that will influence their lives down the road.

And the world forever.

How NOT to Wear YourBackpack

WRONG: This backpack is

overloaded, creating stress on the spine. Improper backpack use can lead to a

lifetime of health

problems.

WRONG: Wearing a backpack improperly

over one shoulder can cause

permanent misalignment of the

spine, muscle fatigue, and a lowered state of

health.

Safety Tips

Step 1: Choose Right

Choosing the right size backpack is the most important step to safe backpack use.Tip: Bring a friend to help you measure your backpack properly.

Safety Tips

Step 2: Pack Right

The maximum weight of the loaded backpack should not exceed 15% of your body weight, so pack only what is needed.

Tip: If the backpack forces the wearer to move forward to carry, it's overloaded.

Face the Pack -Bend at the Knees - Use both hands and check the weight of the pack - Lift with the legs - Apply one shoulder strap and then the other.

Step 3: Lift Right

Tip: Don't sling the back-pack onto one shoulder.

Safety Tips

Step 4: Wear Right

Use both shoulder straps - snug, but not too tight.

Tip: When the backpack has a waist strap - use it.

Safety Tips

For Ongoing Middle School

CurriculumThe world’s first interdisciplinary, standards-based program for your middle grades curriculum!

For Pre- and Early-Elementary Children

The world's first children's book to address the issue of back-pack safety for pre- and early- elementary children.