School is officially back in session.  Every September, the issue of heavy backpacks and back pain in kids and teens is brought up.  Here are some general tips with regard to backpack safety and avoiding injury:

1.  Pick the right backpack, making sure the shoulder straps are padded.  It should be the right size for the child.  The bottom of the bag should not sag too far below the belt line.

2.  If possible, avoid loading it too heavily.  15 to 20% of the child's body weight should be the most that the backpack weighs.  In some situations when a school aged child has been having back or neck pain, I've been able to write a note requesting another set of books, so that a set could be kept at home and not need to be carried to and from school.  If a heavy backpack is unavoidable, you may consider a backpack that has wheels and an extendible handle.

3.  Practice proper lifting techniques when lifting the backpack from the floor.  Check my previous blog on this subject.

4.  Make sure the backpack is fastened high and tight, so that it doesn't sag.  Use both shoulder straps, not carrying the bag on just one shoulder.

5.  Load the backpack with the heaviest items closest the the childs body.  Use the various compartments to do this.  This will help more evenly distribute the weight.

For the last couple of years, our patients have benefited from cold laser therapy.  The reason why it’s called a “cold” laser is because this type of laser does not burn tissue such as surgical lasers do.  Cold laser therapy works by stimulating more adenosine triphosphate (ADP) to the injured tissue.  ADP is a biological building block of energy.  Increased ATP to the injured tissue promotes healing.  Tendinitis and mild to moderate sprains of the elbow, wrist, hand, ankle, and foot have responded well to cold laser therapy in our office.   

One of the first exercises that I recommend to my patients is range of motion activity.  This is important, because in many cases, back and neck problems are caused or worsened by lack of motion.  Part of what a chiropractic adjustment does is restore normal joint motion.  So at some point in a care plan, restoring motion should also be done by the patient while they're not in the office being treated.  Range of motion exercises are simple and can be quite effective in enhancing the results of chiropractic care.

Basically, the spine has three planes of motion:  1.  flexion/extension  2.  left and right lateral bending  3.  left and right rotation.  As an example, let's use the neck.  The three motion exercises would be:  1.  looking up and looking down.  2.  tilting the head to the left and right  3.  turning the head to the left and right.  Similar motions can be done in the back as well as the neck.  This should be done slowly, with a light stretch at the end of the motion.  Mild discomfort is ok, but this exercise should be stopped if pain or dizziness occurs.  It's not necesarry to do this exercise 15 times in a row.  Do it once, but do it several times throughout the day.

Look out for future blogs where I'll do a video demonstration.