Is the stress and ‘weight’ of the day’s events taking a toll on your back, shoulder, or neck? Perhaps, although maybe you are carrying the real culprit on your back or shoulder. Every day, professionals and students alike load their briefcase, backpack, or purse and proceed to conquer the tasks of their day. At the end of the day you may have completed a project, been assigned more work (or homework), and now you have an annoying tingling down your arm or an ache in the low back! More than 79 million students carry backpacks to school, and the 23,000 backpack-related injuries reported in 2007 is both alarming and preventableⁱ . These staggering numbers do not include all the nerve, back, or shoulder symptoms that many professionals experience annually. Strained muscles of the back and neck, inflammation of rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder, and even nerve irritation from compression by the shoulder straps are all too common symptoms.

Occupational therapists strive to promote the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) national slogan by helping others improve their skills for the “job of living.” Often a therapist’s role is helping stroke patients return to performing their own self-care skills, but the profession also promotes public awareness and education through such activities as “National School Backpack Awareness Day”. “Backpack Day” is held on the third Wednesday of every September. But, every day we should take a minute to ensure we are protecting our own, and perhaps children’s, bodies from the repetitive trauma of carrying heavy bags of all shapes and sizes. The AOTA has also published several ergonomic strategies for using a backpack, briefcase, or suitcase. The strategies are common sense suggestions that hopefully many are already doing. Yet, in the chaos of today’s world and because we are all creatures of habit (yes, even unhealthy ones) the following are some useful tipsⁱⁱ :

Tips for Using a Briefcase:

• Make time daily to review the contents of your briefcase. Remove unnecessary items.
• Always pack heaviest items at the bottom and make use of built-in compartments to distribute the weight.
• For cases with short handles: Switch hands to prevent same-side fatigue/overuse.
• For cases with straps: Make sure the strap is padded and wear the strap diagonally across the opposite shoulder to help distribute weight.
• Consider purchasing a briefcase made of lighter material such as nylon or microfiber instead of leather.
• Rest case on floor or seat when waiting in line or while traveling.
  
  

Tips for Children’s Use of a Backpackⁱⁱⁱ :

• Never let a child carry more than 15% of his or her body weight. This means a child who weighs 100 pounds shouldn't wear a backpack heavier than 15 pounds.
• Load heaviest items closest to the child's back and arrange books and materials to prevent them from sliding.
• Always wear both shoulder straps. Wearing only one strap can cause a child to lean to one side, curving the spine and causing pain or discomfort.
• Select a pack with well-padded shoulder straps. Too much pressure on shoulders and necks can cause pain and tingling.
• Adjust the shoulder straps so that the pack fits snugly to the child's back. The bottom of the pack should rest in the curve of the lower back, never more than four inches below the child's waistline.
• Use the waist belt if the backpack has one, to help distribute the pack's weight more evenly.
• Check what your child carries to school and brings home to make sure the items are necessary for the day's activities.
• If the backpack is too heavy, consider using a book bag on wheels if your child's school allows it.
  
  

Tips for Traveling:

Finally, whether you are traveling for business or leisure, owning an ergonomically friendly suitcase – and packing and carrying it correctly – will help to ensure safe travels. Some important things to remember include selecting a suitcase with large wheels and/or wheels with a 360 degree turning radius. Handles at both ends can help in pulling bags out of tight compartments. Also consider packing two smaller suitcases instead of one large, heavier one. Most importantly, try not to rush; lift your luggage in stages. For example, if lifting into an overhead compartment, first lift to the top of the seat, rest, and then into the overhead bin.

Pat yourself on the back for the latest work accomplishment, for successfully getting your child geared up for the school year, and Bon Voyage on your next vacation….just remember to take care of yourself along the journey!

References

ⁱBackpack Facts: What’s All the Flap About? American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. Retrieved July 23, 2011 from http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Awareness/School-Backpack-Awareness.aspx

ⁱⁱNichols, B., Nova, P., & Jacobs, K. (2009) Ergonomic Strategies for Using a Briefcase. American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. Retrieved July 23, 2011 from http://www.aota.org/DocumentVault/Backpack/44396.aspx

ⁱⁱⁱHoffman, A. (2009) Backpack Awareness: One of Many Ways That Occupational Therapists Serve Students. Retrieved July 25, 2011 from http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Awareness/School-Backpack-Awareness/Backpack08.aspx