September 2014
SanTan
FAMILY FUN
1
Backpack safety tips for kids and teens
“An award-winning publication” A publication of the
SanTan Sun News
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Pages 2-4 SanTan Family Fun Calendar
Page 9 Chandler youth chases pigskin glory
Page 10 Local intersession camps
Page 12 Just 4 Kids Sponsored by City of Chandler Recreation Division
Special High School Football Section SPONSORED BY: SCORPION CROSSFIT
Pages 5-8 Gridiron Update
By Alison Stanton
Parents who are wondering if their child’s backpack is too heavy should do On Sept. 17, the American a couple of things, Young says. First, they Occupational Therapy Association is should look at their child from one side holding its annual National School while he or she has the backpack on. Backpack Awareness Day. The day is “If the child has a hunched forward designed to help teach students, parents, posture, it’s a clue that the backpack is educators and others how to stay proway too heavy,” he says. tected from back pain caused by heavy Parents should also try backpacks. lifting the backpacks from time As far as Maria Perparos is to time. concerned, people should be “If it’s too heavy for you worried with this issue daily. to lift, it’s too heavy for Her sons, Damon, 10, and your child.” Jacob, 16, began complaining In addition, although Young about backpack-related aches knows that a lot of teens prefer and pains when they were in to sling their backpacks over elementary school. just one shoulder, he says par“Every year it’s been bad ents really need to encourage after third grade,” the Chandler them to wear it properly over mom says. “They have sore both shoulders. shoulders all the time.” HEAVY BOOKS AND “They need to wear the load In her sons’ cases, it’s not BINDERS: Dr. Lyle Young, a spine surgeon from symmetrically, and as close to the actual backpack, but the Sonoran Spine in Gilbert, the axis of the spine as possimany things they have to says neck, shoulder and carry to and from school back pain that is caused by ble. Wearing it on just one side inside them that’s causing the heavy backpacks is com- will cause posture changes as mon in kids and teens well as aches and pains,” he pain and problems. Submitted photo says, adding that the heaviest “These big binders and books should be loaded into books that they carry around the back of the backpack, so they are are the issue,” Perparos says. closest to the spine. Dr. Lyle Young, a spine surgeon In terms of the size of the backpack, at Sonoran Spine in Gilbert, says Young says it should not be any bigger backpack-related aches and pains are than three-fourths of the size of the very common. child’s back from the shoulder blades to “It is absolutely a problem, but I also the waist. The straps of the backpack see it as a chance for parents to intervene should also be padded and wide, and early and set up their kids with good adjusted so it can sit up as high as possihabits that can last them a lifetime, and ble on the child’s back. teach them the importance of what I call “Wearing it lower will lead to the forgood spine hygiene and why it’s imporward flex posture,” he says. tant to have good posture and carry In general, kids and teens who are weight properly.” lugging backpacks that are too heavy will When kids and teens start to comtypically mention feeling discomfort in plain of neck, shoulder or back pain, the likely culprits are backpacks, Young says. To help keep kids from developing backpack-related aches and pains, Young says the backpack should be no more than 15 to 20 percent of a child’s weight. This allows for the backpack to get a bit heavier as the child grows older, he notes.
their shoulders, neck and lower back. “If they start complaining about pain in any of these areas, parents’ ears should perk up,” he says. In addition to making sure their child is carrying a properly fitted backpack that is not too large for his or her frame, Young says parents need to go through the backpack from time to time to help weed out unneeded items. “If they can’t unload at least some of their books, then parents can help them determine what they really need, and help them parse down the load,” he says. For schools that allow them, rolling backpacks are a good option, Young says, as is encouraging a child to carry at least some of the books in his or her arms. In most cases, Young says, if a child or teen is feeling pain primarily in the axial or center midline of the body, lightening the load and wearing the backpack properly should solve the problem. “If the child is experiencing arm pain on one or more sides, it could mean that the backpack is causing pressure on the nerves, so in this case the parents should arrange for the child to see their primary care physician or spine provider.” Alison Stanton is a freelance writer who lives in the East Valley. She can be reached at Alison@SanTanSun.com.
Resources • http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/ learning/backpack.html • www.aota.org/Conference-Events/BackpackSafety-Awareness-Day.aspx • www.nsc.org/safety_home/Safety Observances/Documents/Back %20to%20School%202014/BackpackSafety-Tips.pdf
When kids and teens start to complain of neck, shoulder or back pain, the likely culprits are backpacks, Young says.