As long as your posture is compromised, it will affect your skeletal structure.Originally posted by sheri:I usually go to lessons after work and use a shoulder bag, as the contents are not really very heavy.
Of late, I realised I am having some bad backache. My right shoulder is also dipping lower than the left. I wonder if the type of back. will actually affect the health of my back?Will using a backpack (very ugly though) even out this problem?
Originally posted by sheri:Thanks for all the detailed replies. Can I ask what is a "roll along"
Actually ever since I noted the problem, I tend to shift my bag to the left (ie where the shoulder is higher), but the weird thing is my right shoulder also hurts.
Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99:(If you don't want to read the whole text, then scroll to the bottom end to see the recommended way to carry backpack).
This is an essay written by me after attended a talk on "The Backpack Generation: The best way to carry backpack".
I have gain many insights from the talk “The Backpack Generation: The best way to carry backpack” I want to share with you’all what I have leant and hopefully you have some understanding the best and right way of carry loads.
Backpacks are inevitable as many are using as a tool to carry loads. Carry wrong type of backpack and wrong method of carry will result in back problem for the spinal structure. It also causes many musculoskeletal injuries.
Well first let me introduce to you the two most common tools of carrying a load. They are backpack and sling bags. Well, backpacks are so common nowadays because they are easy to use, very versatile and are symmetrical. One major disadvantage of backpack is that they exert strains on the shoulder, neck and lower back. Overall sling bags are quite the same from backpacks, except that they are asymmetrical (not symmetric) and it cause the all the load to one side of the body. In long term, itÂ’ll slant the spinal cord(S shape).
Backpacks and sling bags affects our lives to a large extend. Load carriage is an omnipresent phenomenon that is happening so commonly around us and many people are using it everyday from students to professionals and from shoppers to sportsman.
As what I have learned, the backpack loads has steadily increased over the last few years. Most affected will be students because they are required to carry more books to school. In Singapore, the average backpack load is around 15 to 17% BW load. BW denotes for bodyweight. It is a measurement in percentage of one-person bodyweight. The reason is simple, 7kg load may seems reasonable for an adult to carry but it will be too much for a primary school kid.
According to one research conducted by American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), the most acceptable load to carry by one person is 15%BW. While another research conducted by Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) showed that, the one should carry around 10%BW load. From the results, it clearly shows that human are not design to carry load far more than the recommended range.
We everyday uses backpack as use it as a form of carrying loads. Therefore, I feel that it is very important to examine the different ways to carry school bags in order to minimize the damage caused to the body.
The most recommended way of carrying a backpack is when the distance between the line of gravity of the body to the centre of the load is the shortest. I have learnt that cushioned backpacks with vertical straps together with chest strap ARE the ideal type of backpack to carry. It reduces the physical strain and stress to the body in terms of musculoskeletal system. Best position to carry load is between T5(nipple line) to T12 Thoracic vertebrae.
How backpacks really change our life? A survey done by Sheir-Neiss GI, et al. on 1126 students may shed some lights to the problem.
75% children find backpacks are heavy
65% report fatigue
50% Back pain
Recommended way:
Backpack with cushioned with vertical chest straps.
It is not so much just your backpack.Originally posted by sheri:I usually go to lessons after work and use a shoulder bag, as the contents are not really very heavy.
Of late, I realised I am having some bad backache. My right shoulder is also dipping lower than the left. I wonder if the type of bag will actually affect the health of my back?Will using a backpack (very ugly though) even out this problem?

"dipping lower than left".. got see doctoer anot ?Originally posted by sheri:I usually go to lessons after work and use a shoulder bag, as the contents are not really very heavy.
Of late, I realised I am having some bad backache. My right shoulder is also dipping lower than the left. I wonder if the type of bag will actually affect the health of my back?Will using a backpack (very ugly though) even out this problem?