Schoolbags And Back Pain: What Is The Connection?

Nowadays, many people believe that schoolbags and back pain are closely linked. This is true, but it is a reality with different nuances.

First and foremost , the problem is not the backpack itself, but the use. It is of course true that it can affect their muscles and legs when they carry a lot of weight in one form or another in an incorrect way. Although schoolbags and back pain are realities that are often related, it is the factors of weight and load distribution that really fail.

In addition to this, you should remember that backpacks are an item people use every day. Its constant use requires necessary measures to protect the body. In this article, we will explore the relationship between school bags and back pain.

Schoolbags and back pain

Several studies talk about schoolbags and back pain. Just about everyone agrees that about half of all children under the age of 15 have experienced the discomfort associated with using a school bag.

There is also a consensus on the fact that it is not healthy for children to carry more weight than between 10 and 15% of their body weight. In fact, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research has set a ban on children carrying backpacks that weigh more than 10% of their body weight. In Germany, there is a similar regulation.

In recent years, several studies have also established a relationship between school bags and a number of variants of, among other things, neck and shoulder injuries, back pain, curvature of the spine, posture and lung function. The problem has become important due to the prevalence of these problems in children, which was very unusual before.

However, some experts have warned that the onset of these problems in children is not due to the use of backpacks. Other factors may come into play. However, the most prominent cause among these is the children’s sedentary lifestyle, which weakens their muscles and skeleton.

Information to pay attention to

A study conducted in the Netherlands found an inverse relationship between the performance of certain sports and back pain in children . In other words, the children got less back pain the more they played sports.

Another study, also conducted in the Netherlands, indicated a very interesting fact: in many children with back pain, signs of psychosomatic problems were also found. Emotional, familial or individual factors tend to be more often associated with children with back pain.

Regardless, excess weight in the schoolbag and improper use can actually lead to various problems. Some of these are:

• Muscle tension in the lower back. This occurs because the child leans his body forward when the backpack is too heavy.
• Misalignment of the spine, mainly at neck level. This occurs for the same reason as the previous case.
• Increased lordosis.
• Uneven shoulders. When a child carries the backpack on one shoulder, they risk curves in the spine or increased incidence of scoliosis.

Recommendations for school bags and back pain

The first recommendation is to encourage children to participate in sports. Physical inactivity is really not good for anyone, and much less so for children as they are still growing. In addition, you should take some preventative precautions when it comes to backpacks, such as:

• Buy a backpack with suitable dimensions. The backpack should not go further down than the waist and the width should not exceed the shoulder width.
• Make sure you have appropriate straps. They must be padded and should be adjustable to ensure that the backpack stays on the back. Experts recommend bags with handles so that they can be lifted off the floor.
• Divide the inside of the backpack. When the inside of the backpack is divided into several pockets, the objects will move less, which provides more stability.
• Avoid overloading the backpack. Children should really avoid filling the bag too much. This is the most damaging factor.
• Distribute and transport the items correctly. The heaviest object should be closest to the body. Children should carry their backpack on both shoulders.