Backpacks and Purses- How heavy is too heavy?

In the developed world at least 90% of children use backpacks. Backpacks are an inevitable part of a student’s life. However, the amount of weight in the backpack is controllable.

The recommended weight limit for the backpack is 10-15% of the child’s body weight. This means that a child of 75lbs should only be carrying 7.5-11lbs. It has been found in studies that some children are carrying 50% of their body weight on their backs.

It is critical that the backpack be worn on both shoulders. If the weight is not evenly distributed across both shoulders, then the backpack becomes more detrimental than helpful.

It has been found that injuries and backpack use have been correlated as an overuse syndrome. Since children have yet to completely develop, proper backpack use should be emphasized during this period so that injury does not become long-term.

A correlation has been found between backpack use and back pain in children between the ages of 9-18. It has been found that fatigue is a predictor of back pain rather than weight. However, the more weight you have, then the higher your chances of having back pain.

A study has been done that has found that if the weight of the backpack exceeds 20% of the child’s body weight, blood pressure increases significantly. Also, this biomechanical shift in weight also alters lung mechanics and breathing becomes more difficult when the weight exceeds 20%.

The heavy backpack also causes postural changes, putting strain on the low back and the neck particularly, which can not only cause pain but can also alter posture.

Although backpacks are a necessary part of a student’s life, it is incredibly important for the child’s health and growth to keep the weight low. Also, ensuring the proper packing and wearing of the backpack is also crucial.

Pack it Light, Wear it Right!

Resources

1. The Association of Backpack Use and Back Pain in Adolescents. 2003. Spine 28(9):922-930.

Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis

Diverticulum are small pouches in the lining of the colon that bulge outward through weak spots. When you have multiple pouches, it’s called diverticulosis. Approximately half of all people over the age of 60 have diverticulosis

When the pouches get inflamed, it’s called diverticulitis. Approximately 10-25% of people with diverticulosis get diverticulitis.

People with diverticulosis usually have no discomfort or symptoms. Some people have crampy pain, discomfort in the lower abdomen, bloating, or constipation (similar symptoms as irritable bowel syndrome and stomach ulcers).

With diverticulitis, the most common symptom is abdominal pain. The pain is severe and comes on suddenly, although the pain intensity can fluctuate. Some people can experience cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, and change in bowel habits.

The theory behind the cause of diverticulosis is that a low-fiber diet causes diverticular disease. Fiber is the part of fruits, vegetables and grains that the body can’t digest. Both kinds of fiber help prevent constipation by making stools soft and easy to pass. Constipation may cause people to strain when passing stool during a bowel movement. Straining may cause an increase of pressure in the colon, which may cause the colon lining to bulge out through weak spots in the colon wall. These bulges are the diverticula.

A lack of exercise is also associated with a greater risk of forming diverticula.

The treatment of diverticulosis consists of a high fiber diet and pain medication in order to help relieve symptoms. It is recommended to take a fiber product 1-3 times per day and it should be taken with at least 8 ounces of water.

It is also recommended to avoid nuts, popcorn, sunflower, pumpkin, caraway, and sesame seeds as it could enter, block or irritate the diverticula.

High Fiber foods

Breads, cereals, and beans            Fiber
1/2 cup of navy beans                        9.5 grams
1/2 cup of kidney beans                        8.2 grams
1/2 cup of black beans                        7.5 grams

Fruits
1 medium apple, with skin                        3.3 grams
1 medium pear, with skin                        4.3 grams
1/2 cup of raspberries                        4.0 grams
1/2 cup of stewed prunes                        3.8 grams

Vegetables
1/2 cup of winter squash                        2.9 grams
1 medium sweet potato with skin            4.8 grams
1/2 cup of green peas                        4.4 grams
1 medium potato with skin                        3.8 grams
1/2 cup of mixed vegetables            4.0 grams
1 cup of cauliflower                                    2.5 grams
1/2 cup of spinach                                    3.5 grams
1/2 cup of turnip greens                        2.5 grams

Triathlon Injuries

Triathlon is a sport that is growing in popularity and participation. Triathlon consists of swimming, cycling and running combined in varying distances.

Injuries usually occur as a result of an individual leg of the event or due to the physical strain of a combination of the three events. Over-use injuries are incredibly common due to the immense strain this competition places on the body.

A triathlon can range anywhere from 26km to a whopping 225km, and because of such the race can last anywhere from 1 to over ten hours. Therefore, because of the endurance and drastic demands this sport places on the body, injuries are plentiful.

In various studies, incidence of injuries in triathletes ranges from 37% to 91%. The majority of the injuries were non-impact in nature and instead were caused by overuse. The majority of injuries were related to running due to the high impact, stressful nature of the sport. However, cycling also reported high levels of injuries due to the highly repetitive training.

The most commonly affected site of injury was the lower extremity, including the ankle, foot, thigh and knee as the most vulnerable. Running seemed to create the greatest numbers of injuries in the lower extremity, cycling caused the majority of low back pain and swimming accounted for the majority of upper extremity injuries.

Almost 80% of all injuries occurred during training instead of during the competition itself, but if you compare per hour, there is a six-fold increase of injury during the competition. This is because people push themselves harder during the race, increasing the risk of injury.

There are also injuries that result from an accumulation of the three phases of the sport. These involve overuse musculoskeletal injuries and exhaustion-related conditions such as dehydration and hyponatremia. These conditions need to be addressed with the competitor, practitioner and coach.

Understanding the demands of the sport and working within the body’s limits are two important factors involved with the successful completion of triathlons.

Finding the Right Fit

Many women suffer from mid back pain due to a variety of reasons. Whether it is due to postural strain, poor ergonomics at work or a mechanical dysfunction, mid back pain can be both distracting and frustrating. However, one cause that women often don’t consider is breast size and properly fit bras.

A recent study was just published that discussed breast size, bra fitting and thoracic spine (mid back) pain in post-menopausal women. The study determined that larger breasts and increased BMI (Body Mass Index) were associated with mid back pain in postmenopausal women. They found that increasing breast size and how a bra is worn could have serious biomechanical implications for the loading of the thoracic spine.

No matter the age, if a woman does not have a properly fitting bra, the biomechanics of her back will be drastically altered. This means that the body has to compensate in other ways to try and function properly. Often this will lead to some type of dysfunction, which can be intimately related to pain.

This effect is amplified when there is a larger weight distribution. In other words, a poorly fit bra will have more significant consequences for women with larger breasts, due to the fact that their biomechanics will be altered more.

However, no matter your age or your size, a properly fitted bra is crucial for correct biomechanics. Although often overlooked, it could be a significant contributor to mid back pain and posture.  Seriously consider getting professionally fitted for a bra and take the first step towards a healthy back.

Resources

1. Spencer L, Briffa K. Breast size, thoracic kyphosis and thoracic spine pain - association and relevance of bra fitting in post-menopausal women: A correlational study. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2013, 21:20