BLOG: Danger Lurking in Backpacks
Who hasn’t wondered whether small children lugging oversized, heavy backpacks to and from school might be risking serious injury to their growing spines and will one day suffer from serious back pain?
Apparently, there is real cause for concern.
According to a recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study, more than 75 percent of students ages 8-12 suffer from increasing back pain inflicted by carrying their schoolwork and supplies in backpacks or similar totes.
I’ve been saying since the second grade that too much homework is bad for a student! On a serious note, some of our younger elementary school students are literally carrying one-third their body weight for prolonged periods of time and distance. That puts a lot of stress on a body in the midst of development.
And, the heavy burdens are not just affecting those students small in stature.
Student back injuries are now widespread. Ninety-six percent of the pupils monitored regularly haul much too heavy a pack on their backs. In 2001 alone, 7,000 children went to U.S. emergency rooms for backpack-related injuries. And, 60 percent of orthopedic doctors contacted regarding the study reported that they have treated children suffering from back pain caused by their heavy bags.
The study alluded to this startling calculation: A child carrying a 12-pound backpack, and lifting it 10 times per day for the entire school year, has carried and lifted a combined load of 21,600 pounds — the equivalent of six mid-sized cars!
Children should not carry backpacks that exceed more than 10 percent of their body weight — which translates into a 5- to 10-pound load for elementary students.
Even with the continued progression of electronic learning – which one would think leads to fewer books – the backpack has become a survival kit for the action-packed lives that today’s children lead during and after school hours. Parents and teachers have to take an active role in limiting what we literally load onto these children. If we don’t address it now, the picture of a child carrying numerous books – which many have seen as a sign for a bright future – could foreshadow a painful outlook as well.
If you are concerned that your child may be suffering from “backpack overload,” please contact my office to have them checked. Consultation are always free of charge.
Janet Sroczynski
2:09 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
I would be more concerned with Fraud and Collusion amongst Chiropractors.
Marc C Saulnier, D.C.
3:28 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Wow, Janet, sounds like you had a less than exceptional experience with a Chiropractor before. I'm sorry if that's the case. Feel free to write a scathing Yelp review about him/her, and feel free to keep your inflammatory remarks off my posts.
lowertaxes
5:19 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Marc, when you post on a public website people have the right of Freedom of Speech to reply to you. If you don't like it then don't go public.
Janet Sroczynski
3:34 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Having had worked extensively in insurance Fraud, I would appreciate it if you would keep your one-side remarks to yourself. Interestingly enough, I thought Obamacare/ObamaTax was hoping to Defund chiropractors. Keep the readers informed. And if you don't like the comments, then remove your blog/post.
Marc C Saulnier, D.C.
3:52 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
I have no problem with comments. However, you throwing out the words "fraud" and "collusion" under my blog post is completely unwarranted...you've never met me and this has absolutely nothing to do with insurance.
Sinclair
5:04 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
I would be more concerned about someone working in fraud investigations who is arbitrarially and cynically dedicated toward seeking perceived stereotypes rather than targeting those who are actually stealing from the system.
lowertaxes
5:23 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
I have two kids in Elementary School and their backpacks consist of some papers and their lunch. Looking around the playground at the school it seems to be a similar situation with all the students. My kids have never been given any heavy books to bring home with them for homework. And from what I hear the Middle School in town doesn't even allow students to use backpacks in school. When I send my kids to school I am much more concerned with their education than I am with their backpack.
Just Me!
5:53 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
I'd be worried about the fraud investigator in cahoots with the Chiropractor for a piece of the action....seriously....Janet...Marc is right..it seems to me that you are pointing a finger at him as a dishonest D.C!!! not called for atol..no matter what industry your employment is in....
I've seen many reports about backpacks and kids..even on the national news to he point that many parents are thinking of alternative measures for their offspring to carry their books....
Soooo..is someone going to say that Marc has a beef with the backpack manufacturers now?
Jeff Sitter
5:59 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Marc I've read several articles on this problem and it is unfortunate that a couple of misguided chronic complainers have chosen your blog to unleash their anger. After reading the first article I saw I checked my middle school son's back pack and It was forty two pounds. Books, lunch, notebooks, jacket, art supplies, and others. I asked why so much? No time to get to a locker and can't leave supplies around or we will be buying more. I would urge every parent to take a quick look at what your kids are carrying and trim it down. It is a valid problem that should be addressed.
Fiscal Conservative
7:35 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Used to just carry my books in my hands and arms the old fashioned way. Had my Lone Ranger/Roy Rogers/ Hopalong Cassidy/Davy Crockett or Howdy Doody lunch box in the other hand(what grade would depend what lunch box. 12th grade was my Davy Crockett one). I'm old, these new fangled trends I have a hard time adjusting to!!!
Andrew
9:33 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Me too. I carried my books in my right arm. Now It's 2" longer than my left. Does anyone know a good ambulance chasing lawyer?
I think I've found my meal ticket. I'm not eligible for section 8 housing, ebt cards, a free phone, mass health, ssdi, or free transportation where ever I'd like to go. But a good law suit against the book company, the school, the town, the doctor with the misdiagnosis, will go along way towards me living off the working class like all the other Victims.
Sarah
11:18 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Thanks for the info Marc! I agree the elementary school backpacks have not been the problem around my house, but once middle school hit the books started coming home! The textbooks plus the binder system the Coakley has in place puts the pounds on fast. I appreciate all the local business who are using Patch the way it is supposed to be used-provide some info, promote community activities/business, etc. Perhaps negative commenters could write their own blogs re their areas of expertise to even the playing field rather than taking over others?
David McKinnon
8:39 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
School backpacks are often carried carelessly and overloaded by children. Marc's blog points out several known issues that tend to get overlooked in our everyday lives getting kids to and from school. Parents need to ensure their children are trained properly on how to use them. Schools should develop policies that reduce the amount of weight from materials students are required to bring to and from school. Parents should always seek appropriate professional medical advice. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a web page addressing the same topic. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Backpack-Safety.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token
Fiscal Conservative
8:44 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
David: Schools are getting away from traditional books & paper and soon will require those dumb e-things. The school will also require parents to purchase specific models, which will be expensive and outdated 14 minutes after buying them. So, parents will have to buy the newest model for their cherubs and 14 minutes later the the darlings will be complaining that their friends got the updated one and its unfair to them and embarrassing to have such an "old" model. Parents and schools then will force parents to purchase the "latest" model. Again, it will be out dated in another 14 minutes (maybe 15 or 16 this time). Once again the parents need to dish out more Jing so the darlings can stay relevent with their friends. Meanwhile, Backpacks will become much lighter for the student while parents hands and fingers will be worn out due to the constant shelling out of pocket all the Jing for their cherubs. By the way, schools probably will have some kind of contract with tech companies and will receive vast sums of money to continue paying teachers higher salaries. Whatever happened to "Free" public education?
GreenMom
1:34 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Fiscal Conservative, I thought i had actually read on here a while back that Easton High School is going to be using IPADS..... Not sure how i feel about it. There are schools across the country that are moving to different e devices, most IPADs and apple is handing out nice discounts and im sure making a nice revenue
GreenMom
1:40 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
http://easton-ma.patch.com/articles/school-committee-discusses-ipad-pilot-progam
Rebecca
11:55 am on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Another great insentive to aim for more technology in the school. Tablets, cloud computing, whiteboards..
Rebecca
11:57 am on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
A school in Foxboro incorporated ipads into their school, and results were positive. It makes sense in many ways
Francis Stevens
4:47 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Hi Marc, in your article you state 'According to a recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study, more than 75 percent of students ages 8-12 suffer from increasing back pain inflicted by carrying their schoolwork and supplies in backpacks or similar totes.'
I have seen a similiar study which stated 'More than 13,700 kids aged 5 to 18 were treated in hospitals and doctors' offices for backpack-related injuries in a single year'
but have not been able to locate the study you refer to- could you please cite the full reference?
Thanks in advance,
Francis Stevens