Bagging it

By Joel Ceausu, September 19th, 2012

With the typical school supply list running into multiple pages, just where do you suppose kids put it all? Chances are, like most young students, they won't be triaging their work each day, carefully selecting what they actually need. No, they'll stuff it all in their brand new backpack and schlep it, their young vertebrae twisting and turning, crunching and scrunching all the way home.
One would think that with USB keys, laptops, and tablets — at least for older kids — that so many wouldn't be so bag-heavy. But they are. Half of all school-age children are carrying bags that are too heavy, weighing about 20 percent of their bodyweight, which is double the ideal limit for growing spines.
That's according to Quebec's professional order of physiotherapists (OPPQ), which says a full third of Quebec nine-year-olds complain of back pain once a month, and that number soars to half of all kids 13-to 16-years-old, suggesting something's wrong with what or how much they are carrying.
Look at your 40-pound child and imagine how you pass that four-pound limit: a couple of books, a bottle of juice, shoes and other items, repeatedly straining their developing muscles and bones.
Giuseppina Trengia, a Grade 6 teacher at Edinburgh school in Montreal West, has taught several grades over the past decade and says she doesn't see students getting any wiser to selective carrying. “They get older and stronger so it doesn't seem to be a problem for them anymore.”
What she does notice is that they wear their packs for longer periods. “Heavy or not, they don't just drop it when they get here, they wear it everywhere — waiting for the bus, on the bus, hanging out with their friends. It becomes like a heavy appendage.”
Chiropractor Dr. Josie Butticè says part of the problem is the skates and bicycle syndrome: Parents buy large bags hoping their kids will grow into them. The danger, however, is what happens now. When bags are worn incorrectly, muscles and spines compensate with subtle adjustments causing damage over a lifetime.
“Damage to a spine can begin as early as child birth through falls, tumbles, fractures of the legs/arms,” she says. “The damage that occurs from bags being carried on one shoulder, too heavy, back packs that are too big therefore making the child lean slightly forward, or to the side, can add to damage that is already there.”
Bags worn poorly over an entire academic lifetime, like using only one strap, can guarantee a crooked spine. Worst of all is the sling-type bags, or messenger bags, which are very trendy but horrible for the spine and shoulders. “The spine is supposed to be straight from front to back and if it is not, it can become laterally deviated and can cause scoliosis.” says Butticè.
That's one reason why children should never be subjected to fashion trends like messenger or bowling-style bags, which don't properly distribute weight.
“Messenger bags promote poor posture and bad curves especially if very heavy. At the very least, they should switch sides often to keep it even and keep it as light as possible,” adds Butticè.
The same goes for the flimsy and poor quality licensed character bags, at least after kindergarten. “They are pretty big for most children who would be attracted to those” she says. “They are okay if the child is only carrying an extra T-shirt and perhaps lunch.”
But nix them when adding books, shoes and more says Butticè, who offers free backpack clinics at the À Votre Santé clinic on Langelier Blvd. in St. Leonard.
Trengia says kids are often told what they need to bring home from school but often don't listen, erring on the side of caution.
“Parents are on their kids' case for forgetting things at school. But as teachers we are very explicit in what their homework is,” she says, pointing to a clear, detailed list on the classroom blackboard.
“But kids still get nervous and toss everything they own in the bag to be sure.” Watch a few kids walk home and you'll surely see some walking forward as if they're leaning into the wind. Their bags are too heavy, period.