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Office Hours: |
Monday 8a-6p
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 8a-6p
Thursday 8a-6p
Friday 7:30a-2:30p |
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Backpack Safety Starting to
Pay Off
A report in a September 7, 2004 release from "Business
Wire" states that the efforts to educate the public
about backpack safety have begun to show positive
results. For several years the chiropractic profession,
through the major associations as well as independent
organizations, has been on a mission to educate the
public about the dangers of improper backpack usage in
young spines.
According to the United States Consumer Products Safety
Commission, the number of emergency room visits related
to backpack injuries is down from 7,860 to 7,649 over a
one year period. Prior to this reduction, for the
previous six years, reports of such emergency room
visits were up each year, having increased 360 percent
since 1996.
Dr. Marvin Arnsdorff of Chiropractic USA and co-founder
of Backpack Safety America / International thinks that
this is good news and bad news. He states, "For the
first time since these numbers have been reported, we
see that parents, teachers, students and health care
professionals are becoming aware of the issue and taking
steps to address it." He continued, "The bad news is
that the numbers are still needlessly high and the pain
and suffering caused by overloaded and improperly worn
backpacks is easily preventable."
"Students, parents and educators should understand the
risks involved in using backpacks," says Dr. Arnsdorff.
"We're committed to the health and safety of these
children, so we help raise awareness through our
work with schools and the community."
Dr. Arnsdorff, along with thousands of Chiropractors and
other health professions have joined together to promote
backpack health and safety and have issued the following
safety tips from Backpack Safety America /
International:
Choose right: Bring a friend to help you measure your
backpack properly. The proper size backpack is 75
percent of the length of your back, approximately the
space between the shoulder blades and waist. Pack right:
The maximum weight of the loaded backpack should not
exceed 15 percent of your body weight. Pack only what
you need for the day. Carry a book or two by hand to
relieve the load if necessary. If the backpack forces
the wearer to lean forward to carry, it's overloaded. Do
not swing your backpack. It could hurt you and it is
dangerous to those around you. Make sure that pens,
pencils and other sharp objects are stored in a safe
spot so they don't poke through and injure you or
someone else.
When lifting you backpack follow these procedures, 1.
Face the pack. 2. Bend at the knees. 3. Using both
hands, check the weight of the pack. 4. Lift with your
legs. 5. Apply one shoulder strap at a time. Avoid
slinging the pack onto your back. |
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