Musculoskeletal disorders in Indian school children due to carrying heavy back packs

Abstract

Heavy back packs have been reported to result in pain in upper back, shoulder and neck in school children. A retrospective analysis of clinical records from a Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon and Rehabilitation Physician’s practice in a tertiary level Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation centre in India found 62 children diagnosed with severe MSD attributed to carrying overloaded backpacks. The severity of the pain was such that the child was forced to miss school for at least a day and receive physiotherapy. 37 (59.7%) of the affected children were females and 36 (58.1%) children were of age 10–15 years. Pain in the upper back (72%), neck (56%), shoulder (52%) and lower back (44%) was most common followed by forearm and wrist (24%). The mean duration of discomfort was 24 days and the mean load of the back pack was 12.5 kg. All the children were found to be carrying backpacks more than 15% of their body weights.