It’s Never Too Early To Start – And It All Begins With Backpacks!
It’s safe to say that summer is finally in full-swing, and in just a handful of weeks, we’ll begin to see the exciting advertisements and TV commercials that promote “back to school” sales and promotions for a number of this school year’s most exciting products! As a parent, we know that nothing is more important to you than ensuring that your teen remains healthy, strong, and safe at all times, right? Well, did you know that one of the most important actions you can take as a parent is teaching your child how to properly use a backpack to prevent developing arthritis later in life?

Yes, it’s true! So, let’s take a look at some backpack basics top ensure that your child remains safe and healthy for the rest of their life.

Proper Backpack Use
Avoiding back problems early in life is as crucial as avoiding them later in life – and it all starts with the most common childhood product, the backpack. Now, each and every year, parents purchase their child a backpack of their choice and instantly fill it with heavy textbooks, notebooks, folders, devices, lunch bags, gym clothes, pencils, pens, paper, and so much more – now, think about that.

That’s a lot of weight for your teen to carry all day long!
The problem lies when children begin to wear these bags for fashion, instead of for function. When worn correctly, a backpack equally distributes the weight of its contents to take the stress off the back of the wearer to ensure a safe wearing experience at all times. But let’s say that your child uses only one strap around their shoulder instead of both back straps – they could put themselves at risk for a back injury that could eventually turn into arthritis later in life.

Too Much Weight
Of the nearly 80 million children and young adults in the US who carry a backpack to school with them each and every day, over 50% of them are carrying way too much weight! This could spell disaster for your child later in life, as they’re already beginning to put too much stress on their back at too young of an age.

Have you ever asked your child about back pain? Have they ever voiced their concerns to you or made it known that their back sometimes hurts after carrying around their backpack all day long? If so, listen! Ask them their symptoms, weigh their backpack, and ask them how they carry their backpack each and every day. If you notice something wrong, contact an orthopedic and sit down for a consultation.

Look out for symptoms like back aches, shoulder aches, tingling in the arms or legs, weakened muscles, stooped posture, or any general pain at all. Remember, you can prevent the onset of arthritis symptoms, you just have to know what to look for!

Contact Orthopedic Associates today if your teen is experiencing any pains from carrying the weight of their backpack.

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