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We often stress on the need to improve the quality of education, but as our expectations from the younger generation grow higher, so does the burden on their tender shoulders. And it's not the mental burden to excel in class, but also the physical pain of carrying the heavy burden to school which has lead to the regular increase in complains on back aches from the school children. "Definitely, heavy weight of school backpack can cause problems related to chronic back aches, muscles and neck pain, and slouch posture, largely, because the children's bones are soft up to the age of 18. Also their spine is not too strong; therefore, the burden of carrying weight on their tender shoulders is reflective on their walking and sitting posture which is why they tend to walk with bent shoulders most of the time.
"Also, in some cases, depending on their
stamina, children feel fatigued and tired as it requires a lot of energy to
lift their backpack till their respective classrooms. It surely, affects their
concentration in class. Also, carrying backpacks over one shoulder is a wrong
practise as it will make muscles strain to compensate for the uneven weight.
The spine leans to the opposite side, stressing the middle back, ribs, and
lower back more on one side than the other and this muscle imbalance
can cause muscle strain, muscle spasm, and back pain.
A heavy backpack can pull on the neck muscles,
contributing to headache, shoulder pain, lower back pain, and
neck and arm pain. "A lot of times parents come to us complaining
about their child's wrong posture. Although we can't do much about heavy school
bags we advice parents to encourage their children to carry their schoolbags
using both shoulders. And to take care of their child's nutritional needs which
is very important for the growing children.
The current education system should bring in
changes in order to bring ease for children. They suggest a compulsory physical
education period which will enable children to be fit and flexible. "Apart
from taking care of their nutrition like proteins, vitamin D, calcium, etc, we
suggest children should participate in physical activity and should be
encouraged to play outdoor games as this will help them strengthen their
muscles and increase their stamina too.
As part of finding solution to the problem, one
of the possible ways to tackle the situation is to adopt the Tamil Nadu
tri-semester pattern, in which the academic year is divided into three terms
and the books are suitably divided into three parts, thereby making the bags
lighter. This will significantly reduce the load on the students, giving them
adequate time to complete their lessons. Also, merging subjects is a great way
to make things easier for school children. "I think another way to tackle
the problem is by providing lockers to each of them so that they can leave a
few of their books behind in their safe. I don't know how feasible it is but if
school authorities can provide facilities like this it would be great for
children.
Look for the following backpack design features
that help reduce the chance of back pain:
·
The material of
the backpack should be light. For example canvas should be opted as opposed to
leather.
·
Padded and wide
(2-inches), adjustable shoulder straps on the backpack are must.
·
Padded back should
be preferred.
·
Hip strap,
waist belt, or frame to redistribute the weight of the backpack will be more
useful.
·
Wheels so that
the backpack can be pulled rather than carried would be an added
advantage.
Tips to educate your child how to properly load
and wear the backpack to avoid back pain:
·
Always use both
shoulder straps and wear the backpack on the back rather than over
one shoulder.
·
Pack heaviest
objects into the backpack first so they are carried lower and closest to the
body.
·
Fill
compartments so that the load is evenly distributed throughout the
backpack.
·
Adjust the
straps to fit the backpack snugly to the child's body, holding the bottom of
the backpack 2 inches above the waist.
·
Do not carry
the backpack low near the buttocks.
·
Wear all the
straps like the waist belt and strap to reduce uneven load distribution.
·
Do not lean
forward when walking; if this is necessary, there is too much weight in the
backpack.
·
Child should
see the difficulty in putting or taking off the backpack, and can remove few
books and carry it in the arms.
· A child should bend at his knees while lifting their backpacks.
-Dr Satnam Singh Chhabra, Head Neuro & Spine Department, Sir Gangaram Hospital
