Considering low back pain is the single most common cause for
disability in people aged 45 years and younger and creates lots of issues in socioeconomic ways (money and daily activity) (1), preventing low back pain must
be high on the list of everyone in Williamson not just that of your
Williamson chiropractor! Back pain and neck pain are two
conditions Apple Country Chiropractic treats regularly and helps often, and backpacks are one
of the risks for Williamson low back pain that Apple Country Chiropractic sees.
So, the backpack: to use it or not. Yes, the backpack discussion circles around
kids and their using them for school. The newest research reports declare that
wearing a backpack heavier than 10% of one’s own body weight can cause
deformation of the normal lumbar lordosis curve. This reaction to a heavy
backpack by the spine also affects the way the sacrum sits, the total length of
the spine, and the length and angle of the lumbar curve. (2) These are not beneficial outcomes in the developing
spine. The researchers go on to suggest that students be allowed to leave some books
and such at school so that they don’t have to carry so much weight in their
backpacks. Good advice for the kids! So how does child/teenage use of backpacks
affect the future adult spine? Not positively, surely.
(A side note: In
adults who wear backpacks, backpack loads of just 10 kg decrease shoulder
muscle oxygenation and skin microvascular flow. (3) Backpacks …)
It’s a lifelong job to be mindful of the jobs we ask our
spines to do. Wear back packs. Rake leaves. Vacuum floors. Lift sandbags. Digs
holes. Slouch in a chair. No one wants to become a statistic that is disability
due to low back pain. So one approach to limit the risk when it comes to
backpacks is to shift the weight load from shoulders to the hips via a backpack
equipped with a hip strap whenever possible to reduce the risk of low back
pain. (4) Williamson chiropractic care is here for you when your back is hurting, and Apple Country Chiropractic is
here for you to brainstorm some alternatives to the backpack issue.
Contact Apple Country Chiropractic to discuss proper uses of your spine
and some tips on how to best protect your spine when it’s being used in
challenging ways. Your Williamson chiropractic back pain specialist is
here for you and your spine!
"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the
DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by
Dr. James M. Cox I."