Back to School and Backpack Safety

Its back to shopping time, and thinking about our children's safety is a top concern for parents.  Each year more requirements are placed on our kids.  Making sure they have a good back pack that is worn properly is important in preventing unnecessary back injuries.  Here are a few tips to remember from Bode Chiropractic.

 "How wide are the shoulder straps? Does it disperse weight evenly? Does the bag have a waist belt to disperse weight to the hips?"

The  article reports that according to the the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), there are more than 21,000 backpack-related injuries each year. The article notes that increased weight is a major issue. The result, as they suggest, is that, "This increase in weight can be correlated to an increase in children seeing chiropractors."

On July 12, 2007, the California publication also published a story on backpack safety. In this story they quote Dr. Gerard W. Clum of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress who advises, "Backpacks weighing more than 15 pounds that are slung over a shoulder produce an imbalance in the rib cage." He continued by saying, "This type of repetitive strain can also initiate arm and hand numbness, headaches or backaches."

The July 20, 2007 Toledo Free Press also ran a story on backpacks where they offered tips by the American Chiropractic Association to "help prevent the needless pain that backpack misuse could cause the students in your household." These tips included:

Make sure your child's backpack weighs no more than 10 percent of his or her body weight.

The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline.

A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents most effectively.

Make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on your child's back.

Urge your child to wear both shoulder straps.

The shoulder straps should be adjustable so the backpack fits to your child's body.

If the backpack is still too heavy, talk to your child's teacher.

Go see Dr Garrett Bode or visit his other links and websites:  http://www.bodespinalcenter.com/ or see our latest press release (Click Here). [Chiropractor Oldsmar], Chiropractic Tampa, 33635, Chiropractor Tampa, Bode Chiropractic Accident & Wellness Center, Oldsmar, 33635, Neck Pain, Low Back Pain, Auto Accidents, Headaches. Link LinkBodeChiropractic.Blogspot.comhttp://fl.local.yahoo.biz/chiropractortampa