Just before the start of the new academic year, experts warned about school bags. Stating that heavy bags can cause health problems such as scoliosis and low back pain, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist. Dr. Hatice Kübra Aşık stated that while preparing the bag, care should be taken to put heavy books and notebooks close to the back.
The 2024-2025 academic year will start on September 9. Before the schools opened, important advice came from experts for the health of children and young people. Experts warned that choosing and using the wrong backpack can lead to problems such as posture disorder and back pain. Beykent University Hospital Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist. Dr. Hatice Kübra Aşık answered questions such as how the backpack should be, how heavy it should be and how it should be carried for both primary and high school students.
The right bag should be preferred
Prof. Dr. Hatice Kübra Aşık said, “With the opening of the academic year, there are things we should pay attention to regarding the use of bags. If not used correctly, it causes spinal curvatures as a result of incorrect loads on the spine. For this reason, we should prefer comfortable, comfortable, soft bags. It is especially important that the back straps of our children are wide, supported and soft.”
Wearing on one shoulder can cause pain
Dr. Aşık warned that young people should not wear a backpack with a single strap to look cooler and said, “Wearing the bag with two straps protects spine health by providing load distribution. They should pay attention to this. The back straps should be thick, and the end of the bag should be at the waist. In cases where they are lower, we may encounter lower back, back and spine pain in children over time. When there are problems with the transfer of weight, the load on the spine changes and if the child has a predisposition to scoliosis and spinal curvature, it accelerates this. What we recommend to the child is to pay attention to the equal distribution of weight and do not use excessive weight.”
Emphasizing that not only the weight of the bag but also the arrangement of the books should be done correctly, Dr. Hatice Kübra Aşık said, “When placing the books in the bag, weight distribution by placing the heavier ones closer to the back and the lighter ones further away prevents the emergence of back pain and spinal curvatures.”
Choosing shoes is as important as the bag
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist. Dr. Hatice Kübra Aşık gave the following important advice on how the school bag of primary school children should be:
“Primary school children should not have too much stuff. The weight of the backpack should not be more than 10 percent of the child's weight and 20 percent of the child's weight in pull bags. It should be adjusted so that there is no bag bigger than the back. In very heavy cases, a rickshaw bag can be used. However, in the long run, this may cause the child to have difficulty when going up and down the sidewalk and may cause falls. If the foot is not comfortable with the weight, posture disorder may occur. Correct posture starts with the feet. Sports shoes, orthopedic shoes where the foot is fully on the ground should be preferred, not ballet or leathery shoes.”
Uzm. Dr. Aşık stated that heavy school bags can cause posture disorder, back and back pain, knee problems, posture problems and spine problems if not paid attention.
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