Live Well: Back-to-School Back Pain

    I don’t know how many of you watch Channel 9 news. I worked at WAFB for 30 years, so I try to watch it whenever I can. From time to time, I even call my successor, Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Vowell with a story idea. I do it because I know how much she loves getting story ideas from the guy who used to do her job.  😉  

    Recently, I sent Elizabeth an e-mail suggesting a story on the hazards of overloaded back packs for kids who lug their books around in them at school. I did similar reports while at WAFB, but feel even stronger about making parents aware of the risks now that I’m at Central Physical Therapy. Since coming on board at CPT, I’ve heard horror stories about kids who’ve had to go to the doctor with back pain because their back packs were too heavy. Being the consummate professional she is Elizabeth saw the merit in my suggestion and agreed to a story of her own. 

    I arranged for her to come to CPT and interview Angele Lockhart, a senior at Central High School this year.  Angele shared with Elizabeth how she’d gone to the doctor with severe pain in her neck and back last school year. The culprit: an overloaded book sack.  This year she’s tried to lighten things up.  "I (carry) two binders, three notebooks….Then, on the way home I have up to two textbooks.”   

    Vowell also interviewed Helen Balzli, the owner of Central Physical Therapy and a Physical Therapist herself.  Balzli explained the pain kids experience with overloaded book sacks can usually be linked to “muscle spasms, shoulder and back strains.”  To avoid those problems, Balzli told Vowell, a student’s book sack should never weigh more than 10% to 15% of their body weight.  Balzli says, other factors that can contribute to book sack back pain include, “Slinging the back pack over one shoulder instead of using both straps and dispersing the weight evenly across the back. Carrying a book sack with just one strap over the shoulder puts excessive strain on one side of the body.” Balzli also suggests filling, “several compartments on a book sack which spreads the weight out even more.” She says, “Kids should lighten their load whenever they can by only carrying the most essential books, and leaving the rest at home, in their car, or their locker.”

    To watch Elizabeth Vowell’s “Book Sack Safety” story, go to centralptonline.com. Look for it in the upper right side of the home page. 

   Phil Rainier’s LiveWELL column is not intended to be medical advice.  Phil is Director of Marketing & Communications at Central Physical Therapy.