As academic requirements are raised up, so are the amounts of books students are carrying to and from school. Across the province, thousands of elementary, high-school and post-secondary students race to the school bus or scurry to their classes with overstuffed backpacks slung over their shoulders. While carrying a backpack to school each morning might seem harmless enough, it can cause painful back and neck problems for students who don't carry them properly.
Parents, school officials and health care providers have growing concerns with the increased amount of weight being carried each day. Scientific studies have revealed a 30 percent increase in back pain in children since 1990 due to at least in part, carrying backpacks. Back pain is pervasive in our society. According to a recent news article, the issue has taken on serious implications and pediatricians have said that school children should not carry more than 10 % of their own body weight.
