As children head back to school, it is important to think of their posture and what is affecting it, says a local physiotherapist.
The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) says 70 per cent of school aged children will suffer back pain from poorly fitted school bags.
“Other causes of back pain in children can be caused by poor posture, obesity and sedentary lifestyle, soft tissues injuries (sprains and strains) or from competitive sporting demands,” an APA spokesperson said.
Mandurah Physiotherapy sports therapist Libby Soderholm said she believed physiotherapists are now treating more children for posture related injury, due to the way they use technology.
“We find now that they are still reasonably active within school but will go long periods of time crouched over desks or at home, using laptops, ipads or phones,” she said.
“I think backpacks are a small part of the problem now.
“There are other issues like always having your head down – it’s probably causing more issues and more long-term issues.”
Ms Soderholm said it was a shame that schools did not enforce spinal tests anymore.
“Every child in the state used to get screened for spinal curvatures,” she said.
“It was really good because if they were severe, they would have preventative measures before they finished growing which is really beneficial.”
Ms Soderholm said one of the key measures to combat back-pain was to stay active.
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“We have to make sure they’re not sitting on a device for hours on end,” she said.
“We’re designed to be active and to move. It’s those sustained positions of sitting, standing, lying for an extended period of time that will cause issues.”
The APA advised against buying trolley-bags for children if they had back injuries.
“These bags often weigh a lot more and are not easy to manipulate around stairs and on buses. The action of pulling these bags is difficult to perform without twisting the spine and can cause uneven load distribution through the spine,” the spokesperson said.
Tips for buying a school backpack from the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
- Your child’s backpack should weigh less than 10% of their body weight
- Your child’s backpack should be no wider than their chest and the length no longer than their hips
- A thick shoulder strap will ensure a comfortable and snug fit onto the shoulder
- A backpack with separate compartments is ideal for load distribution. The heavier loads should be closest to the spine (e.g. laptops, heavy books).
- Waist and chest straps are ideal to help transfer load from spine to hips and pelvis
- Avoid one-strapped or messenger style bags