New generation of bad backs

[pomtzu]

We, of the middle and older age groups, think we have back problems! I pity the new generation - those now of school age - when they get a little older.

My granddaughter came in today lugging her back pack of books and her laptop. She's a senior this year and mentioned that she has more books than she's ever had. We got out the scale and weighed the back pack - 28 lbs! Yikes. She's 5'6" and around 125 lbs, so she's not a little girl (she's bigger than I am!), so if she's complaining about how much weight she has to lug around, I can only imagine how those little petite girls feel about it.

I hope there's a new crop of doctors specializing in back issues, because they certainly won't be lacking patients.

[Medusa]

Well, at least she's carrying them in a back pack. Years ago when my back was bothering me, my dr. told me to buy a purse that's a back pack and to stop carrying shoulder bags. As soon as I did, the pain and cramping stopped. However, I wasn't carrying around 28 lbs. either. Yikes is right!

[Karen]

Many school systems mandate backpacks with wheels, I am surprised hers doesn't!

[Sirrahsim]

Many school systems mandate backpacks with wheels, I am surprised hers doesn't!

I've never heard of that!

Yes the weight does some excessive

[Asiel]

I've never heard of them either but it would be a good idea if schools did make that a rule. I've watched many documentaries by doctors who discussed the serious effects on the back from those backpacks - seems the future side effects are going to cause many problems. Ever watch those little kids carting all their hocey equipment in those backpacks...I don't think I could even lift one.

[Alysser]

TELL me about it! I sympathize with your granddaughter. This year has been hell on my shoulders, not my back. Backpacks never worked well for me, I use a shoulder bag, but HELL it hurts. That schoolbag plus work has killed my shoulders.



I usually don't complain about it but it HURTS sometimes. I love my job so I am usually very tolerant of the pain from the weight.

The only thing I ever complained about was when a guest jumped on my back and my shoulder collapsed under the weight of the A-hole. It still hurts to this day, and that happened well over 2 months ago.

[RICHARD]

I wonder if this will replace the "I used to walk three miles in 2 foot deep snow to get to school!" lines our parents used on us?

[Miss Z]

Bad backs are prevalent on both sides of my family. I'm 6' tall, and have a long back. My saving grace is that I have a good metabolism and can stay skinny pretty easily, but if I ever put on a little weight, my spine would let me know about it!

Even if I somehow retain my figure into my thirties and forties, it's still more than likely that the bad back genes will have kicked in by then. It probably doesn't help that I have to lug my gigantic maths folders everywhere whilst I'm at sixth form college, or that I have a Mary-Poppins-like habit of filling up my handbags with everything from cameras to make-up sets, and then carrying all that on one shoulder.

[Medusa]

I wonder if this will replace the "I used to walk three miles in 2 foot deep snow to get to school!" lines our parents used on us?

And uphill both ways.

[caseysmom]

My daughter is a senior but she leaves most of the huge books at home, she also has a locker at school. Her backpack doesn't seem too bad.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I wonder if this will replace the "I used to walk three miles in 2 foot deep snow to get to school!" lines our parents used on us?

Our parents?? I told that to my kids and I live in Florida!!