PATIENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHTS
BACKPACK SAFETY TIPS
Aching backs and shoulders? Tingling arms? Weakened muscles? Stooped posture? Does your child have these symptoms after wearing a heavy school backpack? Carrying too much weight in a pack or wearing it the wrong way can lead to pain and strain. Parents can take steps to help children load and wear backpacks the correct way to avoid health problems. Loading the backpack: • Achild’sbackpackshouldweighnomore thanabout10%ofhisorher body weight. This means a student weighing 100 pounds shouldn’t wear a loaded school backpack heavier than about 10 pounds. • Loadheaviest itemsclosest to thechild’sback (thebackof thepack). • Arrange books so they won’t slide around in the backpack. • Check what your child carries to school and brings home. Make sure the items are necessary for the day’s activities. • If the backpack is too heavy or tightly packed, your child can hand carry a book or other item outside the pack. • If the backpack is too heavy on a regular basis, consider using a book bag on wheels if your child’s school allows it. Wearing the backpack: • Distribute weight evenly by using both straps. Wearing a pack slung over one shoulder can cause a child to lean to one side, curving the spine and causing pain or discomfort. • Selectapackwithwell-paddedshoulderstraps.Shouldersandnecks havemanybloodvesselsandnerves thatcancausepainand tingling in the neck, arms, and hands when too much pressure is applied. • Adjust the shoulder straps so that the pack fits snugly on the child’s back. A pack that hangs loosely from the back can pull the child backwards and strain muscles. • Wear the waist belt if the backpack has one. This helps distribute the pack’s weight more evenly. • Thebottomof thepackshould rest in thecurveof the lowerback. It should never rest more than four inches below the child’s waistline. • School backpacks come in different sizes for different ages. Choose the right size pack for your child as well as one with enough room for necessary school items. • Only put items in your backpack that you need for the day. NO REFERRAL? NO PROBLEM! Did you know we can see you for PT with or without a doctor or other healthcareprovidersreferral?Oneofourphysicaltherapistswillevaluate you, and customize a treatment plan to reduce your pain and get you moving better. Refer yourself or someone you care about!
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“After waiting all winter for summer to come, this summer was going to be different. My rotator cuff in my shoulder was weak, and it hurt to do my favorite hobby: gardening. Gardening is my passion, and something I thought I had lost forever. I am right-handed, and my daily activities were limited due to my pain. I couldn’t carry groceries in the house, and I had to limit my activity in my right arm due to the pain. After 3 short weeks of therapy, I am now able to garden like Iused to. Ihave reachedallmygoals fromparticipating inphysical therapy, including gardening, digging, planting, raking, grocery shopping, lifting bags of groceries, and I can now lift my arm over my head without level 7-8 pain.Thank you for helping me get back to my life!” - Pam R. “I am now able to garden like I used to!” “I have had two shoulder replacements within the last 6 years. Both times Avenues Physical Therapy has been my choice for therapy. They make sure that you are getting exactly what you need, and go the extra length and take time to ensure progress. They make changes in the pace of your therapy treatment to make the most of your healing time. The therapists are very good at what they do, and thank goodness they all have a good sense of humor, because that makes the therapy somewhat easier. I highly recommend them.ThankyouKelsey,andallstaffatAvenuesPhysicalTherapy.” - Ed T. “They are very good at what they do!” Qr/HYHO+DUG
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Win! Find the misspelled word in this newsletter for your chance to win an Avenues PT Tie Dye T-shirt or a Gift Card to Mary’s Mountain Cookies! Call: 307-634-0298 *Contest for past and present patients ONLY Qr/HYHO+DUG Call IN &
Congrats to last month’s winners:
Improve your health naturally
John K. & Beth Pratt
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Kelsey Kean, PT, MPT Tawna Bovero, PTA
Eric Nelson, PT Linda Froelicher, PT, MSPT
www.avenuesphysicaltherapy.com
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