John McGlashan College pupil Semin An (11, centre) models a
Chiropak school bag which helps keep his spine straight,
unlike the packs used by Sam Sinclair (15) (left) and Eric
Kim (16).
The rigours of everyday school life are turning many of
New Zealand's schoolchildren into "hunchbacks", a Dunedin
physiotherapist says.
Woodhaugh Gardens Clinic physiotherapist Steve August said
many children were being left with a "dowager's hump" by
today's sedentary lifestyle, in which pupils spend long hours
sitting at desks doing schoolwork, working on computers, and
carrying heavy school bags, "To an extent, these factors are
creating a nation of hunchbacks," Mr August said.
"Walking up George St, I see hundreds of children who are so
stooped, the back of their head is in front of their chest.
Ideally, your earlobes should be above your shoulders.
"That posture traps nerves, causes nerve damage, headaches,
neck problems and occupational overuse syndrome.
Often, these symptoms can plague people well into adulthood,"
he said.
Mr August has been a physiotherapist for 25 years and said he
was one of many in the profession who had noticed a gradual
increase in the number of schoolchildren requesting
appointments for treatment of these symptoms.
Heavy school bags were part of the problem for pupils,
particularly those who carried them over one shoulder.
This created asymmetrical spines in young people, he said.
A typical teenager's school bag contained textbooks,
ring-binders, sports gear, lunch and laptops and added up to
a weight equivalent to a sack of potatoes on their neck,
shoulders and back, he said.
A growing number of Dunedin secondary schools are offering
Chiropak backpacks to pupils.
They are ergonomically designed and reduce muscle fatigue and
stress on the spine.
The packs have an internal spine which can be adjusted to
mould to the carrier's back, contoured adjustable shoulder
and chest straps which help position the pack on to the
wearer's centre of gravity, waist straps with hip pads to
help distribute the appropriate amount of weight to the
pelvis, split compartments and compression straps to centre
the contents of the pack, a computer sleeve to keep large
items close to the body and extra padding for comfort.
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