7 Healthcast
Air Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010
Backpack Strain
Backpacks loaded with books could mean serious back problems for kids.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego used an upright M-R-I scanner to look at the effects of heavy backpacks on 11-year-old children.
When kids put on backpacks that were about 20- to 30-percent of their body weight, it caused compression of their spinal discs, and curving of the lower spine.
Researchers say kids typically carry backpacks that are 10- to 22-percent of their body weight.
over time, this added weight could lead to significant back pain.
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