Thanks to all who attended our wellness club party.  It’s quite a complement to our team that you would all come.  We have the best patients!  We had a wonderful turn-out and a great time.  Thanks to Steve Finlayson, we have a nice Montague on our web site, www.drsully.com, just click the wellness tab.  I would highly recommend Steve and his work.  He’s put together many of these for me and my family.  It’s something I will cherish forever.  He can be reached at (925) 594-0200, he’s web site is www.mrfunstuff.com.  For those of you who own business go to the web site for the fun stuff small business association.

September is our national back pack safety month, (see attached flyer). 

Do you cringe every time your child hoists her back-pack onto her shoulders?  From kindergartners to college students, the strain is showing everywhere.

It’s almost an epidemic.  Although these loads do not cause scoliosis, as it has been rumored, they can cause serious back and neck pain.  The pack pulls children backward.  So to keep from falling back, kids pull forward.  That puts stress on the muscles and ligaments from the neck all the way down to the lower back.

Here’s how to ease the burden: Take it off.  If your child has back pain, she should stop carrying a traditional backpack.  Try one with wheels.  If that’s “un-cool” I’ve attached some information about an air pack.  If pain still persists, have your child evaluated by a chiropractor.  Better yet, have them evaluated before problems occur.

Reduce the load.  Your child’s backpack should weigh no more than 10 to 20 percent of her body weight.  If she is constantly weighed down, by books, make sure she isn’t carrying more than she needs.  Request a second set of books for home.  Although some schools can be hesitant to comply, more children are now getting the second set and feeling better.

Get the right equipment.  Choose a backpack with padded shoulder straps and a padded hip belt, both of which absorb some of the weight.  Get a pack that allows about fifty percent of the weight on their hips.

Distribute the weight.  Make sure your child uses both shoulder straps, even though it might not be “cool”.  Tighten the straps so the pack is 2 inches above the child’s waist and snug against her back.  Heavier items should be packed against the back and other items distributed evenly throughout.