Photo: (c) kingvald

About 90% of kids wear backpacks. Have you ever wondered what this does to your child's spine?

A new study, published in the Jan 1 issues of Spine found that heavy backpacks can damage children's spinal discs, increase spinal curvature and cause back strain (and pain).

According to press materials, the study took MRIs of kids wearing different backpacks weighing up to 26 pounds. The researchers added 10, 20 and 30 percent of the childrens body weight with backpack weight and measured spinal changes.

Most of the time, backpacks range between 10 and 22 percent of a child's weight.

As the backpacks got heavier, the childrens intervertebral discs became more compressed. Wearing back packs also increased abnormal side to side curves, beginning at 18 pounds. At 26 pounds, kids needed to adjust their posture to accommodate the pack.

Unfortunately, the negative effects of wearing a heavy backpack may carry over into adulthood. Children with back pain are at a greater risk for back pain during adulthood. This post has a few tips for how to minimize the pain.

_Source:

_{Press Release. Heavy Backpacks Affect Children's Spines. Newswise. Jan 27 10.}

| Tips for Wearing Backpacks | Back Pain | Scoliosis |

=======================

Stay up to date:
Subscribe to
the Back and Neck Pain newsletter
AND
Join the
discussion in the Back and Neck Pain forum.

=======================

Follow Me On Twitter

Photo: (c) Adam Ciesielski

When you go to your family physician for relentless back and leg pain, you may get a referral to a spine surgeon. But are you sure you and your doctors are on the same page about what to expect from back surgery? A new study may shed some light.

The study presented scenarios to both family docs and spine surgeons and asked at what point surgery would be the treatment of choice. I found it interesting that the spine surgeons were the most conservative bunch. They said that if the patient has more leg pain than back pain, that's when they would consider surgery. This is most likely because leg pain usually means a nerve root is affected.

In contrast to surgeons' preferences, patients and family doctors had a higher preference for surgery. When patients have neurological symptoms, and/or impaired walking and lots of pain, the family physician tend to prefer surgery. The researchers suggest that family doctors may not have a grasp on which factors contribute to good outcomes in back surgery.

_Source:

_{Press Release. Surgeons Less Likely than Family Doctors to Prefer Back Surgery. Newswise. Jan 28 10.}

| Types of Spine Doctors | Back Pain | Back Surgery |

=======================

Stay up to date:
Subscribe to
the Back and Neck Pain newsletter
AND
Join the
discussion in the Back and Neck Pain forum.

=======================

Follow Me On Twitter

Recently the American Academy of Neurosurgeons reviewed medical studies on TENS, which is a small device you wear to mask the pain. It is a mild form of neurostimulation. The AAN found that TENS is not really effective for back pain, and they recommend against it for this purpose.

TENS is a conservative treatment. Spinal cord stimulation is an invasive pain management therapy that does pretty much the same thing but with a lot more intensity. You might think of spinal cord stimulation as the industrial strength version of TENS. The main differences are that spinal cord stimulators have to be surgically implanted, and the impulses they deliver are much more powerful and flexible than those of TENS. Of course SCS is not for everyone. If you think it might be for you, check with your doctor or pain management specialist.

Although currently there are few studies on how spinal cord stimulation addresses chronic back pain, it is a promising therapy. There will likely be more studies done in the future.

| Neurostimulation | Back Pain | Neuromodulation |

_Source:

Richard M. Dubinsky MD, MPH, FAAN and Janis Miyasaki MD, MEd, FAAN. Assessment: Efficacy of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in the treatment of pain in neurologic disorders (an evidence-based review). Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology 2009, doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181c918fc.

Photo: (c)Handout Getty Images

The New York Times estimates that the death toll in Haiti will reach between 100,000 and 200,000. Much of the attention paid to this devasted country is rightly focused on the death count, as well as the lack of basic supplies and the overwhelming medical needs of the victims and their families. But little has been said about the needs of those who sustained spinal injuries. An earthquake such as this one makes it virtually impossible to treat an injury safely and in a timely way. For example, moving someone who has a spinal cord injury, even if for their own safety, can increase the chances of paralysis or death. Also, getting the appropriate treatment as soon after the injury is a critical key to getting well again.

If the 7.9 magnitude quake in May 2008 in China is any indication, over 50% of victims may experience nerve injury and subsequent disability. There will likely be a large portion who have spinal injuries in more than one area of their back, and nearly all injuries to the neck will result in a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries usually result in permanent paralysis.

<sub>Sources:

Reuters. Haiti Says 200, 000 May Be Dead, Violence Looms. Jan 15 10. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/15/world/international-uk-quake-haiti.html


Chen R, Song Y, Kong Q, Zhou C, Liu L. Analysis of 78 patients with spinal injuries in the 2008 Sichuan, China, earthquake. Orthopedics. 2009 May;32(5):322.</sub>

New York Times. Sichuan Earthquake. May 09. http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/science/topics/earthquakes/sichuan_province_china/index.html

| Spinal Cord Injury | Back Pain | What to Do in Case Of a Neck Emergency |

=======================

Stay up to date:
Subscribe to
the Back and Neck Pain newsletter
AND
Join the
discussion in the Back and Neck Pain forum.

=======================

Follow Me On Twitter