News Room

MEDICAL MINUTE^©
from the Texas Back Institute

Chronic Back Pain Could be Resting on a Child's Shoulder

Schoolyards across America and the world are filled with students carrying heavy backpacks slung across one shoulder. This popular trend could cause serious back damage over time...damage that includes lower and upper back pain, strained shoulders and neck and scoliosis or curvature of the spine.

"The increase in back pain among youngsters isn't surprising when you consider the disproportionate amounts of weight they carry in their backpacks - often slung over just one shoulder," said James Cable, M.D., Occupation and Sports Medicine Physician at Texas Back Institute. "The majority of school-age children carry backpack loads that are too heavy for their bodies, which can negatively impact a child's body during the developing years, resulting in harmful physical effects that can last a lifetime."

Backpack Use Tips:

• Always use both shoulder straps and wear the backpack on the back, rather than over one shoulder.
• Adjust the straps to fit the backpack snugly to the body, holding the bottom of the backpack two inches above the waist and keeping the top just below the base of the skull.
• Pack heaviest objects into the backpack first, so they are carried lower and closest to the body.
• The American Physical Therapy Association recommends backpack loads be less than 15 percent of a child's weight.

Texas Back Institute: Texas Back Institute (TBI) is the largest freestanding spine specialty clinic in the United States. The Institute, based in Plano, Texas, was established 27 years ago and provides comprehensive medical care for individuals with back and neck pain. TBI is a back care leader specializing in spinal arthroplasty and minimally invasive spine surgery. As an academic health care organization, TBI has trained hundreds of physicians, scientists and allied health professionals. Its research institution employs state-of-the art technology and research to treat patients and is involved in the most clinical trials of artificial discs. TBI's professional staff includes board-certified spine surgeons, general surgeons, internists, chiropractors, physiatrists, pain specialists, exercise physiologists and a team of physical and occupational therapists. Texas Back Institute's offices are located in Plano, Denton, Fort Worth, Greenville, Garland, Hurst, Midland, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona. For more information visit www.texasback.com

MEDIA CONTACT
For more information, contact Meredith Falke, (214) 891-7795 meredith_falke@richards.com

Consumer phone number: 1-800-247-BACK