Around 40% of students suffer discomfort or pain at some point of time due to heavy school bags which they are carrying. Here are some other facts about, impacts of & solutions for school bags:-
- The weight of any school bag should not exceed 10% of children's weight.
- Carrying heavy school bags can lead to musculoskeletal problems. Carrying the school bag on shoulder puts extra pressure on one side, tilting one's spine.
- To carry a heavy bag, the child has to lean forward which leads to development of bad body posture.
- The excess weight puts undue stress on the muscles and disc, damaging the spine. The alignment of spin is altered, causing it to bend, forward or sideways.
- The immediate effect of heavy school bags are pain in the back, neck and shoulder with muscle tightness, tingling, numbness and weakness in the hands and loss of grip.
- Severity of pain even leads to lack of sleep, swelling and symptoms of nerve compression.
- When a heavy load is put on the child's shoulders, the joints and muscles tighten Hips can become sore if a child is bending forward to compensate for the backward pull of the backpack. Knee pain occurs because of a change in walking pattern and body posture due to an overweight backpack.
- The school bag should be made up of light-weight fabric and should not be overloaded. Bags height should not be 4 inches beyond the child's waist.
- The bag should have wide-padded shoulder straps, sturdy to reduce pressure on the neck and shoulder area. To have even distribution of note-books, lunch box & water bottle, the bag should have multiple spacious compartments.
- The child should not lean forward after having the school bag. Parents should ensure that children do not carry unnecessary note-books, stationery etc.
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