To think the strain on students backs from book bags has a lot to answer for?

[KriticalSoul]

Was something that came up in conversation with my mom today, I just wondered if anyone else had ever had the same thought.

I was talking with her about the fact my long, long battle with back pain has now been going on 20 years.. I was in physio and having x-rays at 17 from chronic lower back pain that often left me 'locked up or unable to walk.. having to roll out of bed...etc and no-one could ever come up with answers so I was just fobbed off with pain killers and told there was nothing wrong.

At 17 I was doing my a-levels and had spent the better part of 6 years, walking a mile to school with a heavy bag full of folders, text books, work books, pe-kit etc that I then also had to lug around all day, then back home again.

I really think this kind of stress on a young, developing spine really cant be healthy, and wonder if its partly to blame for so many people suffering with mysterious back pain in adulthood.

I've since been diagnosed (in the last 3 years) with degenerative disk disease that the dr said would likely have been picked up all those years ago had they not just shrugged after my x-rays came back with no evidence of anything wrong. >.

My kids all have bags with extending handles because of this. When I was at school we left books in our desks or lockers.

Mine are very petite and their bags weigh a fricking ton. When they had rucksacks they complained of back pain.

Wheelie bags for life.

Where I live in the US you see quite a few of the kindergarten children with little cases like miniature cabin crew bags.

Seems pretty sensible.

Yes I often wonder in this generation, how. Lockers should be available in all schools. My DD's are quiet petite. I usually put their back packs over the buggy while I can.

I get pain in my shoulder and left arm everytime the weather gets cold, It started very young, it could be ralated to a heavy backpack.

In the future books will be replaced with ipads for mos lessons, otherwise lockers are needed.

I actually weighed mine one day out of curiosity because it was so heavy.. Bang on a stone. My back has been bad since a kid and still is. I see a chiropractor every 6 weeks because of it. You may well be on to something!

I definitely think there’s a lot in that.

At my school (years ago now..) they recommended these specialist backpacks which apparently distributed weight evenly and had padding etc..the problem was they were not aesthetically attractive, very big and clunky with a weird colour scheme etc..so of course they were seen as deeply ‘uncool’ and all the kids whose mum’s bought them were picked on. Nightmare.

I've recently had to refuse to carry my kids, my sons especially, he keeps his weighted lap-pad in his and its too much for me to get back to the car with it slung over my shoulder.

The deeply uncool bag issue was the same when I was a teenager, you absolutely HAD to have one of those cross body messenger bags, never a rucksack, ever.

I don't understand why lockers aren't a thing here like they are in the US, it'd save a lot of issues I think!

I also walked miles with a heavy backpack and didn’t develop back pain, but I was used to walking in general and was fairly physically fit. I think the problem is more around kids whose only form of physical exercise is carrying their backpack.

Yup. And who on earth used to timetable pe and Home ec on the same day??

Multiple books
PE kit (often with hockey stick/tennis racquet)
Cookery ingredients

And a 2 mile walk

The deeply uncool bag issue was the same when I was a teenager, you absolutely HAD to have one of those cross body messenger bags, never a rucksack, ever.

Very true. I always had a shoulder bag. My right clavicle is now visibly lower than my left! I now live in Italy and the problem is even worse. There is always a debate going on about how heavy children's bags are and how damaging it is for their spine. (Nothing is kept at school here and the text books are really heavy - some of them last for 3 years of school). Nothing ever gets done though!

Just wanted to add - it's bad for the environment too as lots of people (me included sometimes as I have twins so double the problem) pick children up from school in cars purely because the bags are so heavy.

Interesting thread OP.
I suffer from back ache, have done for years and I'm early 30s. Wondering this is why.
@Bananas, would you mind telling a bit more about the extending handle bags please?

My right shoulder sits below the left one after years of holding up my bag with it - think my handbags have been as much to blame as school though.

There are lockers in most schools here, but a lot of kids take everything home and everything in again - a lot don't go through their bags at night so don't even change what they have in there from day to day. They use their lockers for outdoors jackets instead.

In my school I've lost count of the number of students who bring EVERY book to school EVERY day because they are so worried about forgetting something. Little y7s with huge heavy bags weighing them down. MASSIVE pencil cases with hundreds of pens, coloured pencils, felt tips etc.

We haven't got room in our school for 1500 lockers so until they learn to be more organised and only bring the stuff they need for one day then we have to watch them struggling.

I had no idea that they don’t have lockers at secondary school. Insane.

That’s a fair comment . DC1 bag is so heavy !

I still suffer with pain in my upper back that was caused by carrying a heavy bag around at school 15+ years ago.
My secondary school is right next to a large wooded area, so we'd go run around there during PE which meant we needed a jumper, trackies, trainers, spare socks, towel etc as it was always muddy and cold. That alongside books made my bag weigh a ton!

My mum complained to the school after I hurt my back but nothing was ever done.

Some secondaries do have lockers in the U.K. They all should though.

My DD goes to college for A levels. There are no lockers and some teachers insist on the text books being brought to lessons. Some days I can hardly lift her bag and she walks a mile and already has a bad back. I tried to persuade her to get a shopping trolley and start a new trend but she's not that brave.

@MartagonLilies this is the bag mine have. With telescopic handle fully extended it’s about 3ft. They can then just wheel it round like a little suitcase, but it has nice thick padded straps too, so can be used as a rucksack.

They’re honestly a godsend as I don’t drive at present, so kids can actually walk to the shops etc with me without that weight. Reasonably priced too- I paid €50 each for them, well worth it IMO.

Thanks @Bananas I'll look out online for a couple. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction please?

Yanbu. I had my locker key confiscated at school as I kept losing it. Fucked my back. Luckily it’s ok now, though lugging children about isn’t doing it any favours.

ridge53.com/products/backpacks/Temple/temple-berkley

Hope that helps @MortagonLilies

Totally agree. Teen's bag weighs a ton as they dont have time to go to lockers between classes and they are too bloody small anyway. Coat and gym kit =full up.
I can hardly carry it and i dont want him having shoulder/back probs like i have had for years.

I think it's mostly newer buildings that have lockers. some older buildings don't have space for them.

My school didn't have lockers and I only brought what was needed but I still remember one year on Tuesdays having lots of single periods and being really weighed down.And if you had P.E/H.E. DD's school has hour long lessons so doesn't need so many books per day and they have lockers. They don't usually have heavy stuff to carry for H.E as most ingredients are provided by school. She does find it a bit much on P.E days though.

Those wheelies look great but I can't imagine the chaos of 1500 students moving around between lessons all wheeling those along corridors and up and down stair cases.

I always cycled to school so strapped school bag, pe kit and cookery stuff on the rack at the back. I had a special clip in the front fork for tennis racquet/hockey stick etc. If I had extras I wore a backpack for music books/flute etc. I even managed a guitar on my back a few times.
When it snowed, I piled everything onto a sledge and walked!