Parent Talk / November 2005
Back to Back Packin'
More books, more homework and more ‘stuff’ means bigger, heavier backpacks for students. Young bodies have plenty of energy, but children carrying more than their bodies can handle may experience an increase in childhood back pain, scoliosis, headaches, neck pain, and shoulder pain.
Dr. Heather McCarter, of McCarter Chiropractic Clinic in Parkersburg, says, “Choose backpacks with wide, padded straps to help distribute the weight. Packs with individual compartments help disperse weight more evenly, too. Make sure the backpack weighs no more than 5-10% of the child’s body weight and that it doesn’t hang more than four inches below the waistline. Try to make sure that both shoulder straps are worn when the backpack is being carried.”
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Femme Fair 2006
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