Playtimes HK Magazine Winter Issue 2018/2019 | Page 67

S
tanding tall, Naomi, age 7, is
a happy and healthy child.
Thanks to a series of simple
fixes, she no longer struggles
with neck and shoulder pain caused
in part by her student backpack – a
source of much physical and emotional
angst last year.
“My osteopath immediately identified
Naomi’s causes of pain. She’d slouch
when sitting and her muscles were
strained from carrying a heavy school
bag every day. Naomi had a few
sessions and was given some stretches
to do at home. We tidied her bag
every day, so she didn’t carry around
unnecessary things, and her pain
settled soon after,” her mum shares.
Naomi is not the only student in Hong
Kong to struggle under the weight of
her school bag, according to alarming
research by the Democratic Alliance for
the Betterment and Progress of Hong
Kong (DAB) last year. Around 80 per cent
of primary students in Hong Kong carry
overweight school bags, according to
the survey, which covered more than 900
students from schools in 18 districts. The
average weight of school bags was found
to be almost 5kg, approximately 64 per
cent heavier than the Education Bureau’s
recommended standard of 3kg – or 10
per cent of the carrier’s average body
weight. The figures were said to be the
worst in a decade.
Regular use of an overweight
backpack can cause numerous issues
in a growing children including poor
posture, curved spine, and pain in
the upper and lower back, shoulders,
neck, pelvis and feet, warns Abby Yek
Cheung, a partner and physiotherapist
at PhysioMotion in Central. And, it’s not
just the weight of the bag that causes
problems. All too often, children wear
their bags incorrectly, she says.
Speaking with Playtimes, Abby
advises students, parents and schools
how to take the load off children’s backs.
Pick the right pack
Abby warns against across-the-
shoulder or messenger bags, which
don’t distribute weight equally. The
education
right backpack is best, she says.
Backpacks should be size-
appropriate. “The student should use a
child-sized backpack. The width of the
backpack should be no wider than the
child’s torso,” she advises.
Last year, Island Christian Academy
(IslandCA), a primary school in Sheung
Wan, updated its policy on school
bags in response to parents’ feedback.
Whilst Year 2 to Year 6 students are
required to use the school’s backpack,
Year 1 students can bring their own
smaller backpacks to school.
Vice Principal Charlotte Owen
explains, “Parents shared concerns
that the bag was too big for some Year
One students. They found it hard to lift
their bag; they felt unbalanced and they
were worried they might fall backwards.
A few children were also getting sore
backs and shoulders. The decision was
made very easily and quickly to make
the change. Parents were delighted
and we have had no further comments
about bags since.”
The ideal backpack should also have
wide and padded shoulder pads, a chest
strap and - though not a common feature
in backpacks - a pelvis strap, Abby says.
Wear it right
When a student sees Abby for the first
time, she asks them or their parent to
bring in their backpack. She shows
children how to wear their backpacks
and she sends a picture to the
parent by WhatsApp to serve as an
ongoing reminder.
“Backpacks should be worn on both
shoulders, not just on one shoulder. They
should sit squarely on the shoulders and
the back, so weight is distributed evenly.
Often students wear their bags slung
low, which causes their upper body to
lean forward to compensate. This puts
pressure on the lower back. Bags should
be worn high on the student’s back, with
the bottom part sitting one inch above
the hip,” Abby advises.
The chest strap and the pelvis strap,
if available, should be clipped in place
so the backpack is close to the body.
Straps can be adjusted to accommodate
Winter 2018
65