Heavy backpacks place a measurable strain on the spines of children, with heavier loads causing greater spinal strain and increased back pain, reports a study in Spine, January 2010My husband and I started getting concerned about heavy backpacks when our son was required to carry a very heavy backpack weighted down with a year's worth of books when he was in gradeschool. It just didn't make sense. It's taken a long time to get the research to prove the problems. But it's here now, and solutions need to be found -- such as eBook readers.
The next step in convincing schools to "lighten the load" is to show how expensive back pain and back care is to our society. Maybe business and government can prevent that long term impact on healthcare costs by providing children is an alternative to heavy books.
Test Results for Children's Back Health
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans show compression of the spinal discs and spinal curvature caused by typical school backpack loads in children, according to Dr. Timothy Neuschwander of University of California, San Diego, and colleagues.
Backpacks' Effects on Disc Height and Spinal Curve Linked to Back Pain
The study included eight children, mean age 11 years. A special upright MRI scanner was used to image the children's spines in standing position--first with an empty backpack, then with increasing weights of 9, 18, and 26 lb. These weights represented about 10, 20, and 30 percent of the children's body weight.
Two key spinal
measurements changed as the backpack load increased.
- Heavier weights
caused compression of the intervertebral discs, which act as a cushion
between the vertebrae (bones of the spine).
- Especially in the lower spine, the disc height became smaller (reflecting greater disc compression) at heavier backpack weights.
- Heavier loads were also
associated with increased curvature of the lower spine, either to the
right or the left.
Half of the children had a significant spinal curve even with the 18 lb weight. Most of the children had to adjust their posture to bear the 26 lb backpack load.
As backpack weight increased, so did the amount of pain reported by the children. At the heaviest load, the average pain score was nearly five (on a ten-point scale).
Parents are increasingly concerned about the heavy backpacks their children have to carry. The new study is the first to use imaging techniques to see how backpacks affect children's spines.
More than 90 percent of U.S. children carry backpacks, typically with weights equal to 10 to 22 percent of their body weight.
Carry Backpacks on One Shoulder or Two?
The results suggest that heavy backpacks cause compression of the spinal disks and increased spinal curvature, both of which are related to back pain reported by the children. Although the children were wearing the backpack straps over both shoulders when the MRI scans were performed, the researchers note that spinal curvature could be even greater if the backpack was carried over one shoulder--as many children do.
Lower Back Pain for Children -- Through Adulthood
"Low back pain in children may be worsened by discogenic [disc-related] or postural changes," Dr. Neuschwander and colleagues write. This could have long-term implications, as children with back pain are at increased risk of having back pain as adults. The researchers call for similar studies to examine the effects of heavy backpacks in children with existing back pain.
About Spine
Recognized internationally as the leading journal in its field, Spine
is an international, peer-reviewed, bi-weekly periodical that considers
for publication original articles in the field of spine. It is the
leading subspecialty journal for the treatment of spinal disorders.
Only original papers are considered for publication with the
understanding that they are contributed solely to Spine. According to the latest ISI Science Citation Impact Factor, Spine ranks highest among subspecialty orthopedic titles. Visit the journal website at www.spinejournal.com
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