Safety

August 12, 2009

Free safety checks of backpacks offered

Town Talk staff

The chiropractic office of Dr. Adam Hebert is offering free backpack safety checks during August to help ensure backpacks don't cause health problems for students.

A safety check can be scheduled at the office, located at 3021 La. Highway 28 East in Pineville, by calling (318) 619-1114.

Hebert noted the American Chiropractic Association offers the following tips for parents to consider concerning their children's backpacks:

--Make sure a child's backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight.

--A backpack with individualized compartments will help you position the contents most effectively.

--When packing a backpack, make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on the child's back.

--Tell your child to use both shoulder straps, not just one, to prevent disproportionately shifting of all of the weight to one side, which could cause neck and muscle spasms and lower back pain.

--Backpacks should have padded shoulder straps, and the straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to a child's body.