Oct 22, 2014 6 thoughts on can heavy backpacks cause scoliosis. While the cause is unknown, idiopathic scoliosis does tend to run in families. Heavy school bags are deforming children as growing numbers suffer irreversible back problems. Aside from scoliosis, spine health wasnt traditionally considered a serious health matter for kids, yet weighty backpacks are fast becoming a legitimate matter of concern.
Scoliosis and backpacks posted on december 17, 2015 january 26, 2016 by admin for many years it has been said that heavy backpacks is one of the causes for scoliosis developing in children. Sep 25, 2018 it is a common myth that carrying heavy book bags or tending to sleep on a specific side could cause scoliosis, but it is important to know that this is not the case. No one knows why scoliosis strikes, though it appears to run in families. A study by siambanes from 2004 journal of pediatric orthopedics, marchapril 2004. Shouldering a hefty load can cause back pain, according to a. Aside from scoliosis, spine health wasnt traditionally considered a serious health matter for kids, yet weighty backpacks are fast becoming a. How overloaded school bags lead to functional scoliosis wbkb11. From small bags with just enough room for a book, phone, and wallet to larger packs with designated compartments for fitness gear, laptops, and more, youll find loads of stylish picks right here.
Backtpack balanced bag for scoliosis and postural health. To set the record straight, scoliosis does not come from carrying a heavy book bag or other heavy things, athletic involvement, poor sleeping or standing postures, lack of calcium, or minor leg length difference. Sports activities or heavy backpacks do not cause scoliosis or make a curve worse. For children, this means getting back to being a kid not a condition. Heavy schoolbags pose health threat to children, claims mp. Although heavy backpacks do not cause scoliosis, they can cause back pain in young students. Scoliosis is a spinal deformity that can worsen during childhood and can become a serious problem later in life. After reading it i felt people suffering from this disease would have a good resource and i felt good knowing i could help with that.
Unlike conventional backpacks or messenger bags backtpack is an ergonomic bag that reduces pain, trains posture and encourages a healthy lifestyle. If you have been bags, you can use those, or you can try something like a washcloth or something similar in height and size. Heavy backpacks or bags can lead to back problems and poor posture even shoulder problems and headaches. Dec 09, 20 one of the reasons why more and more children are suffering from scoliosis is they are forced to carry heavy backpacks every day to school. Adult degenerative scoliosis also called adult onset scoliosis is caused by the degeneration of the facet joints that help the spine bend smoothly, and the intervertebral discs that absorb the shock between the vertebrae. During this time i was a part of a support group for scoliosis run by brooke lyons and after my surgery, brooke chose to feature me in her book.
Scoliosis was originally a greek word meaning curved or bent. You can take action and do something today to help yourself. Rice bags are used for exercises where you are lying on your back, side, or stomach and come in a variety of sizes. Scoliosis is a sideways curve in the spine commonly seen in children and adolescents. Kids should carry lighter backpacks with the straps over both shoulders. Dont wear backpacks on one shoulder to look coolunless. She wants a regular backpack, but in the past she has had back pain from. There are dozens of other schoolbags where the trolley is integrated in the bag and not detachable. Once these concerns have been brought to the attention of the pediatrician, family physician or orthopedic surgeon a thorough history and physical are necessary to differentiate idiopathic scoliosis from scoliosis caused by trauma. The consumer product safety commission estimates that nearly 5,000 emergency room visits each year are due to injuries related to book bags. Girls are two to three times more likely than boys to have a scoliosis diagnosis, but when boys are diagnosed it often presents more severely.
Avoid injury with these book bag safety tips flourish. How a heavy back pack can make your childs scoliosis worse. Heavy backpacks put pressure on students spines and shoulders causing back pain, bad posture, and muscle strains. Load induced functional scoliosis in normal young subjects. Many people think scoliosis can be caused by carrying heavy book bags or sleeping on. Prevention and risks it is possible to identify children who may face a higher risk for scoliosis, but the condition itself cannot be prevented. Its still not clear if carrying heavy backpacks will cause scoliosis, but what is known is that it will aggravate the condition and worsen their spine. But kids backpacks can cause back, shoulder, and neck pain when theyre too heavy and worn for the better part of eight hours a day.
Do sports activities or heavy book bags cause scoliosis. Melissa, 22 years old i have klippel trenaunay syndrome, my grandma has scoliosis. The impact that nutrition plays as an environmental influence on idiopathic scoliosis is not completely understood. Carrying heavy backpacks, or carrying them in a way that strains the back, is a frequent cause of back pain in children and adolescents the back pain caused by back packs is short term e.
As college students carrying around books for multiple subjects, the heavy backpack is sometimes unavoidable. If the child has scoliosis, the bag should weigh no more than five percent of his body weight. A spine with this condition has a lateral curve when viewed from the back. Dec 21, 2017 from small bags with just enough room for a book, phone, and wallet to larger packs with designated compartments for fitness gear, laptops, and more, youll find loads of stylish picks right. Van eck said even if students wear their backpacks properly, if theyre hunched over, thats a sign the bag is too heavy.
Scoliosis and backpacks posted on december 17, 2015 january 26, 2016 by admin for many years it has been said that heavy backpacks is one of the causes for scoliosis. Some people mistakenly think that carrying heavy book bags or sleeping on the side could cause scoliosis. There are many common misconceptions and incorrect assumptions. Part of the schroth scoliosis therapy collection, our rice bags come as wedges or rectangles of three sizes each. This article provides answers to questions parents and their children often have when first diagnosed with scoliosis, including information about causes, screenings, and current research. Its still not clear if carrying heavy backpacks will cause scoliosis, but what is known is that it will aggravate the condition and worsen their spine curvature. In 20, there were 5,415 backpackrelated injuries treated at emergency rooms in the u. One of the reasons why more and more children are suffering from scoliosis is they are forced to carry heavy backpacks every day to school. Dangelo, dc those years of puberty we fondly or notso fondly. While infant and juvenile scoliosis cases are seen, dr.
The heavy backpacks that we used to carry for school, however my surgeon said that that is highly unlikely. Options include tshirts, tote bags, wristbands, necklaces and more. The 7 best posturesaving backpacks, according to a. Threedimensional treatment for scoliosis in the english translation is a book ive been waiting for a long time. Scoliosis facts scoliosis is when the spine becomes abnormally rotated and curved sideways. The effects of backpack loads and spinal stabilization exercises on.
They are made from durable 10 oz canvas in natural color, making no use of bleaches or chemical dyes. Can wearing a backpack on one shoulder cause scoliosis. Schoolchildren are at risk of developing back problems because of burdensome backpacks, a federal mp has claimed. Dec 17, 2015 for many years it has been said that heavy backpacks is one of the causes for scoliosis developing in children.
Sports activities or heavy book bags or backpacksthese do not cause scoliosis or make a curve worse. However, there is limited scientific evidence for this. Stall bars are the ladder looking bars we use in the clinic for many of our scoliosis exercises. The genetic weakness that predisposes a person to scoliosis can be activated or turned on by something. Scoliosis is simply a descriptive term, like headache, and not a precise diagnosis. No longer is scoliosis cared for through just observation, bracing and surgery. Can book bags cause scoliosis new york family what to. Raise awareness of scoliosis and nonsurgical treatment options in your community with our clear merchandise. Most of these techniques originated in europe, where they do not share the same bias against exercisebased approaches to scoliosis that exists among orthopedic surgeons in the u. When a scoliosis develops the spine bends sideways and rotates along its vertical axis.
It is a common myth that carrying heavy book bags or tending to sleep on a specific side could cause scoliosis, but it is important to know that this is not the case. When walking around a college campus or a school, its hard to ignore the huge, heavy backpacks students carry. Jun 24, 2019 scoliosis is a curvature of the spine. The schroth method is a physical therapy approach to scoliosis treatment. Most children who get it will grow normally until they reach 10 to 12 years old, and then the spine starts to curve and twist. After having my scoliosis surgery, i found this to be helpful to strap down my small carryon and push around the airport. Scoliosis is a condition that may appear in more than one member of a family in the same or different generations. Schroth method for scoliosis johns hopkins medicine. Other bags and conventional backpacks create distort posture because they are.
While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown. However, heavy backpacks can be related to back pain. In addition, when patients with idiopathic scoliosis symmetrically carry a bag with a load weight of at least 10% of their body weight on each of. This isnt something that is seen only in colleges and high schools, its something that is seen even in elementary schools. Physiotherapist henley yeung talks about different school bag. Need help carrying your bookbag after scoliosis surgery. Which type of school bag is best for your spine and shoulders. Backtoschool with scoliosis august 4, 2015 we all know the adolescent years can be some of the most challenging and awkward in a persons life, and going through it with scoliosis can bring on physical and emotional hardships. Heavy school bags are deforming children as growing.
Jul 29, 2019 parents may have the concern that book bags contribute to spinal deformities such as scoliosis. What you need to know schroth exercises may benefit patients of all ages, regardless of the severity of scoliosis. Association analysis of scoliosis based on backpack. Lee orthopedists fix young scoliosis cases submission. Three years ago when i had an increase in my back pain, i began to search for something to relieve my pain. Prisma health childrens hospitalmidlands offers book bag. Balanced bag for scoliosis and postural health backtpack. Carrying a rucksack on either shoulder or the back, does it matter.
In school you have to carry that book bag all the way around and it. It is based on exercises tailored to each patients spine curvature. Lastly, poor posture dose does not cause scoliosis, but it can dramatically impact a scoliotic. Heavy backpacks can be related to back pain, however. Examples of higher risk sports for someone with scoli could include volleyball, tennis. Heavy backpacks and their effect on the spine nicole. For our young ambassadors, we offer a childrens book, being grace, which follows the emotional journey of a young giraffe diagnosed with scoliosis. The ideal weight for book bags is one where the bag is less than 10% of your childs weight. A lot of parents come in to my office thinking that their child might have scoliosis because of a. The genetics may or may not be expressed and the person may or may not even develop scoliosis.
Posted by marietta chiropractor on august 11, 2008. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis orthopedics for kids. Bad posturethis will not cause scoliosis, however, scoliosis could be the reason for poor posture, especially if the child leans to one side. I dont recommend twisting around and pulling, but pushing should be o. These days, children have to carry several textbooks to school not to mention notebooks, pencils, pens, assorted supplies and snacks. This dual side bag, a balanced bag system essential for scoliosis reduction. The specific genes involved have not all been identified yet, and there could be factors beyond genetics as well. Today it is a word used to describe the most common type of spinal curvature.
Scoliosis is the medical term for the sideways or sidetoside curvature of the spine in either an s or c shape. With 60% of students between ages 12 and 17 carrying backpacks that weigh 10% or more of their body weight, its little wonder pain is quick to follow. In reality, explains karol, scoliosis is not a danger. If you are choosing to go out for a new sport this year, choose one that will impact your scoliosis the least, one with less forceful impact, twisting or torque on the spine. The best backpacks for students and back pain should be small and light and have scurved straps. If you take a closer look at your backpack you may notice the various straps and clips that i have noticed students around campus completely ignoring. Scoliosis is an issue of postural imbalance and instability.
Palmetto health childrens hospital offers book bag safety. There have been reports in britain and ireland of spinal abnormalities and scoliosis among children carrying heavy loads. Its not from book bags or bad posture, churchill said. There is clear medical evidence that there is no link between heavy book bags and scoliosis, said locke. Even if your child is taking up scoliosis reduction exercises, it wont help if they continue carrying the same heavy backpack. She is being made fun of because she has a wheeled backpack in high school. Poor posture or carrying a heavy book bag does not case scoliosis. A healthy spine, when viewed from the back, should look like a straight line.
Mild to moderate scoliosis ohio scoliosis treament faqs. She has been carrying her binder which weighs 10 lbs. Sep 07, 2015 heavy schoolbags pose health threat to children, claims mp. It does not develop as a result of anything that a child or her parents did or failed to do. Buy products related to scoliosis back brace products and see what customers say about scoliosis back brace products on free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Scoliosis surgery has many risks as does any surgery, these risks are because of the spinal cord and the closeness that the surgeon needs to get to it while carrying out surgery asked in back neck. I had a spinal fusion in 1957 for a significant thoracic curve, with a good result. If the child needs to carry a large number of books in the bag, try to limit as many extra items as possible.
For example, if a child weighs 80 pounds and does not have scoliosis, then the bag should weigh between eight and 12 pounds. Parents may have the concern that book bags contribute to spinal deformities such as scoliosis. Can book bags cause scoliosis new york family what to do. Prevention and risks it is possible to identify children who may face a higher risk for scoliosis. When i was i underwent a spinal fusion for scoliosis. Can book bags cause scoliosis posted on september 23, 2010 by diana a. Some people mistakenly think that carrying heavy book bags or sleeping on the side could cause scoliosis, but that is not the case.
Distributing the weight over both shoulders will be less harmful on your scoliosis than wearing a bag on one shoulder. Scoliopilates, the book, is your guidebook to scoliosis. Its time to get back together with friends, get back in the routine of studies and back to hauling a load of books home and back. And, the stress on the spine is very likely a major cause of idiopathic scoliosis in kids. Jun 22, 2019 scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. However, we encourage all to keep book bags at about 57% of body weight. Many people carry the genes that trigger the development of scoliosis. Relationship between backpack weight and prevalence of lordosis. They can be purchased from multiple online retailers, but a quick search on amazon for stall bars will lead to many options.