outdoors travel

Most kids carry backpacks to school everyday
and pediatricians
physical therapists and parents are reporting increasing numbers of schoolchildren complaining of back
neck and shoulder pain
along with tingling or numbness in their arms and hands. This is being attributed to children carrying heavy loads of schoolbooks in backpacks and often not following backpack safety rules and using the bag improperly.

However don’t scrap your child’s backpack and run out to buy a sling bag
or briefcase type book bag. Evidence exists that says these are even more harmful than the backpack. So what is a parent to do? Backpacks if made correctly
worn properly not over packed and packed correctly
are fine. A back friendly bag will have wide padded shoulder straps
a padded back
and a waist belt.

This takes care of most of the problems. The straps
on this type of bag
avoid the pinching of the shoulders by narrow unpadded straps on other backpacks. The waist belt and padded bag help to reduce the bouncing of the bag on the back. This reduces repetitive impact injury. Some backpacks even have a chest belt
and side straps to stabilize the load.

This type of backpack is obvious the better choice
because it uses the back and abdominal muscles
the two strongest muscle systems in the body
properly. A heavy backpack
incorrectly worn
can pull the child back
so the child leans forward to compensate for the pull. This can compress and possibly damage the vertebrae
causing back and neck pain.

This leaning forward also tends to cause the child to roll her shoulders inward. This with the forward lean can also compress the lungs and cause problems for asthmatic kids. The best backpacks are made of sturdy material
have padded wide shoulder straps
padded backs
waist and chest belts. These extra belts help to put some of the weight bearing on the legs and hips. You have the right backpack
now you have to make sure your child knows how to use it properly.

First teach her how to pack it properly
heavier items like textbooks should be placed closet to the back
don’t over-pack
and don’t pack anything you do not need for school
Now see that he lifts it properly
and that he uses both shoulder straps
the waist belt and any additional belts.. Before purchasing a backpack check on line for results of product testing and ratings
by reliable consumer protection groups
of any backpack you are considering.

Be aware that price is not always an indication of quality
nor does lower prices necessarily mean a poor product. You must do your homework. Also look on line for wholesale dealers in backpacks .We found a top brand backpack that has all the proper padding all the belts and a mini frame to help support the load for just a thirty dollars more than the average mid-range back pack.

More important than the price is that you get the right type of backpack
and that your child uses it because the best most expensive ergonomically sound backpack in the world
is worthless if she doesn’t follow the backpack safety rules.