Heavy backpacks are becoming detrimental to students' health

Many students struggle with back problems during the school day. This is mainly due to the weight of their backpacks. Having to carry around an extremely heavy bag everyday can be very detrimental to young students’ health.

As Doctor Avitzur says, “A heavy backpack is a strong contributor to low-back pain in children, carrying a heavy pack for long periods of time, carrying it on one shoulder instead of two, and climbing stairs while lugging a heavy load can exacerbate the problem. Girls and shorter children are more likely to have back pain from backpacks, due to their smaller stature, so it’s important to find one that fits well”.

When students head off to school each morning they have approximately: 3 binders, 2 folders, 2 notebooks, and 3 textbooks. Carrying all of these heavy materials on their backs all day can change the posture of students. A small 2010 study of eight children published in The Journal Spine, found that heavier loads compress spines.

As said on CNN, “Another study, published in BioMed Research International in August, studied 109 7-year-olds in Poland. It found that backpacks heavier than 10% of a child's body weight can cause the back to lean one way or another, and that lighter backpacks could ease the strain on their spines”.

Depending on how many books and binders a student carries in his or her backpack, could a serious effects on their backs. In all cases, researchers found that heavy backpacks cause a lot of pain in the long run.

Carrying a heavy backpack around all day can not only hurt your back, but it can also damage your shoulders and neck as well. Many students carry their backpacks just on one shoulder. When doing this is can cause a sore pulling feeling on the students shoulders. You can fix this by carrying your backpack on both shoulders and tightening the straps so that the backpack lies perfectly in the middle of the back. Students also tend to pull their necks down when carrying heavy items. Having your neck down for a good majority of the day can be very detrimental to your health and cause your neck to become sore and irritated.

Over the years textbooks and binders have gotten heavier and heavier. With all of the pressure from the supplies being put on the students back, it can bend their spines, causing bad posture and even critical back pain for years.