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Back Trouble for your Child: Computers and Backpacks

Do kids have back problems or are adults the only ones who suffer?  With the average American child spending approximately one to three hours a day in front of a computer screen, today's children more and more are experiencing back problems.  Kids today also are carrying heavier backpacks to school, some weighing more than 20 pounds!  Join host Dr. Winnie King and learn the simple steps from an ergonomics expert how to help keep school and computer work from being a pain in your kids' back!


Guests:

Michael Howard-Johnson - 8th Grade
Alan Hedge, Ph.D., CPE, FErgS, AFBPsS - Professor, Department of Design and Environmental Analysis, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; Director, Human Factors and Ergonomics Teaching and Research programs, Cornell University; Fellow of the Ergonomics Society; member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society; Certified Professional Ergonomist; Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society; member of the American Psychological Association; member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America; and a founding member of the International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ). Co-author of a book on indoor environmental quality called Keeping Buildings Healthy and he co-edited a handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods.  He has published 25 chapters and more than 200 articles on these topics in the ergonomics and related journals.


Things You should Know

Ways to Avoid Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI):

  • reduce overall exposure to computers
  • take breaks from computer every 20 minutes
  • know the warning signs (tingling, heaviness, or soreness in neck, shoulders, upper back, upper arm, elbows, forearms, wrists, thumbs or fingers.)
  • get proper workstations and equipment, including glare free screen
  • avoid laptops - they are less adjustable and therefore potentially more damaging and there are reports of back pain from transporting them.
  • get exercise
  • maintain good posture
  • teach proper technique
  • see a doctor if warning signs exist
  • hydrate kids with fluids, wear fingerless gloves to increase circulation in hands
  • kids should learn to touch-type so they are less likely to strain head and neck looking from text to computer
  • use voice-activated equipment

What is Proper Positioning at the Computer?

  • The child's legs should be positioned comfortably with the feet solidly on the ground or on a footrest.
  • Legs and hips should be perpendicular to the spine (at an angle of between 90 and 100 degrees).
  • The spine should be straight and the small of the back should be supported.
  • Wrists should be in a neutral position for typing and using the mouse, not overly flexed or extended.
  • The elbows should be bent at a 90-degree angle to the upper arm and close to the sides so the wrists do not bend.
  • The top of the monitor should roughly align with the child's forehead, allowing the head to stay in a neutral position without extending or flexing.
  • The monitor should be directly in front of the child, not at an angle.
  • The child's head should be about two feet away from the monitor.

Preventing Back Pain from Heavy Backpacks:

  • Do not overpack: The American Physical Therapy Association suggests backpacks should weigh 15-20% of the child's total body weight; The American Chiropractic Association advises 5-10% of a child's body weight.
  • Get proper backpack design (lightweight, wide, padded straps, individualized compartments, padded back, hip strap, wheels)
  • Teach child how to properly load and wear pack (do not lean forward, always use both shoulders, pack heaviest objects first so that the load is distributed, lift pack by using leg muscles) 
  • Become proactive as a parent - work with PTA, talk to teachers, ask your child how he/she feels.  The American Chiropractic Association has urged schools across the country to put textbooks on CD-ROM so children don't need to lug heavy books in their backpacks.

Resources

Cornell University Ergonomics Group
http://www.ergo.human.cornell.edu/

http://www.healthycomputing.com/ - very good general website providing information on computer and backpack safety for kids.

http://www.humanscale.com/ (makers of ergonomic computer desk used in the show)