How bags bend your child

A study conducted by physiotherapist reveals the damage school bags inflict on children

By Yogesh Avasthi, Mehul Jani
Posted On Friday, February 05, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2010020520100205030121230b36cba51)
How much is too much for your child’s back? A study has found out, startlingly, that even a load of 10 per cent of the body weight can ruin a child’s back, leading to musculoskeletal problems like wrong posture, functional scoliosis, ruck-sack palsy and reduced lung functions. The ill effects of a heavy bag are carried into adulthood and can impede the body’s functioning. And, our kids are carrying much, much more, giving us enough reason to worry.

Heavy school bags are the clear suspects, says Divya Raghavan in her report ‘Effect of Backpack Loading on Cervical and Shoulder Posture and Chest Expansion in Indian Schoolchildren’, which is part of an extensive study being carried out on back problems by the Suresh Brahmkumar Bhatt College of Physiotherapy, VS Hospital.

“Stressed back and neck can seriously affect a person’s functioning by the time he reaches 40 years. And these problems begin in childhood, mainly due to heavy school bags,” warns Raghavan’s guide for the report, Dr Nehal Shah of the SBB College.

The study tested 30 students aged between 11 and 15 years for their back, neck, head and shoulder postures with and without school bags that weighed not more than 10 per cent of their body weight and concluded that the weight was too much for the age group. Activity with heavy bags aggravate the stress.

College principal Dr Neeta Vyas says three out of 10 patients receiving physiotherapy at the college for bad backs, stiff necks, shoulder pain and breathing difficulty are children.

SUGGESTIONS

• The study suggests that reducing backpack weight and better bag designs can reduce and prevent chronic changes in normal body posture.

• Time spent carrying load on the back should be reduced to avoid stress on neck and upper trunk.

“The alarming numbers led us to initiate the study,” says Dr Vyas who too blames heavy school bags.

St Xavier’s school, Raghavan said, was very positive in its response to the findings and held meetings with parents, students and teachers on the ‘weighty’ issue. AM had earlier reported that the school had in last June given students of Class I to IV the option of leaving their school bags and books in classrooms.

The CBSE too had on January 14 issued guidelines on bag weight.

The college’s study will next cover people in the 20 to 30 years age bracket. The college has sought permission from the state government to carry out similar studies in school across Gujarat.

THE POSTURE TESTS
For tests required for the study, Raghavan and Shah approached St Xavier’s High School, Mirzapur, and chose 30 boys aged between 11 and 15 years. Those with recent injury, fever, systemic illness, congenital deformity, scoliosis and kyphosis were excluded. The time chosen was morning when fatigue is minimum.

After measuring the height and weight of a student, his standing posture (back and head) was photographed without bag, with bag weighing 10 per cent of body weight, and after dynamic activity (two minutes of walking and three minutes of climbing stairs).

Chest expansion was also measured without bag and after dymanic activity.

“Students actually do much more than what they were asked to do for our study. Some walk to and from home carrying heavy bags, cycle to school with them and climb two to three storeys at school and to their homes,” says Shah.

1: Craniohorizontal Angle

2: Craniovertebral Angle
3: Sagittal Shoulder Posture

THE TEST REPORT
» The tests’ findings were unnerving. The craniovertrebral angle (estimation of head on upper back), reduced even with load of 10 per cent of body weight. Smaller the angle, more forward the head position.
Which means: Bad

» The craniohorizontal angle (estimation of head on neck angle or position of upper cervical spine) increased. Greater angle indicates extension of upper cervical spine.
Which means: Bad

» The sagittal shoulder posture (estimation of rounded shoulders) increased as a result of static and dynamic loading. Rounded shoulders means imbalanced muscle performance and can lead to impingement syndrome, neck pain and headache.
Which means: Bad

» Chest expansion reduced by 10 to 30 per cent as activities with load prevented full movements of rib-cage during breathing.
Which means: Bad