DES MOINES, Wash., Aug. 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vitality Chiropractic, a Des Moines chiropractic center, will be hosting a free back-to-school event at the Des Moines Farmers Market on Saturday, September 8. The event will include backpack posture checks, a backpack giveaway, and free advice to help children properly distribute weight in their backpacks. According to chiropractor Dr. Bonnie Verhunce, backpacks are a leading cause for postural problems and chronic pain in children. Dr. Bonnie is hoping the event will raise awareness about the dangers of over-weighted backpacks and encourage parents to correct unhealthy habits.
Des Moines chiropractor Dr. Bonnie is taking a stand against what she calls a "growing epidemic" of chronic pain in young children caused by over-weighted backpacks.
Dr. Bonnie's Des Moines chiropractic care center, Vitality Chiropractic, is hosting a free back-to-school event to raise awareness about the dangers of over-weighted backpacks. Children will receive a free postural screening and backpack check to redistribute the weight in their packs correctly.
According to Dr. Bonnie, backpacks that do not have an even weight distribution pose a threat to a child's health. Heavy textbooks can cause muscle strain, irritate joints and damage a child's developing musculoskeletal system.
"In our pediatric practice, I frequently treat young children for postural problems caused by over-weighted or uneven backpacks," said Dr. Bonnie. "A child's spine is still growing and developing. Weighing down a backpack with heavy textbooks, and then carrying this pack only on one shoulder, will cause a child pain in the back and body."
Dr. Bonnie also is cautioning parents and teachers to discourage the common practice of wearing a backpack on only one shoulder. Doing so can cause mid-spine compression, including muscle spasms.
"Wearing only one strap may look cool, but this causes uneven weight distribution and back pain," said the Des Moines chiropractor. "A child's spine will then lean in the opposite direction for balance, compressing the middle of the back. We have treated children as young as ten years for problems caused by wearing their backpacks on only one strap."
Dr. Bonnie is hoping that this community outreach event will raise awareness about the dangers that over-weighted backpacks pose to young children.
"This event will be a unique opportunity to educate students, teachers and parents about the proper way to fit a backpack to a child's body," said Dr. Bonnie.
Dr. Bonnie and her wellness team will be offering free backpack adjustments, showing teachers and parents the proper way to tighten straps and load a backpack to evenly distribute weight.
The Des Moines chiropractor recommends that parents select backpacks with padded straps that are at least two inches wide. The heaviest books should be packed closest to the body. A waist strap helps evenly distribute weight.
Vitality Chiropractic provides pediatric care for back and neck pain, headaches, dizziness and colic. The practice serves the Kent, Seattle, West Seattle, Burien, and Tukwila communities.