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Back Whack.


Ever feel like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Blame it on your backpack!

U.S. doctors are reporting a rash of back pain complaints from backpack-toting teens. "Backpack stress is a universal problem," says Marian Jacoby, a back specialist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana For the Canadian restaurant, see .
Baton Rouge (from the French bâton rouge), pronounced /ˈbætn ˈɹuːʒ/ in English, and
.

When you wear a backpack properly, your back and stomach muscles--among the strongest in your body--support the pack's weight. But when you overload your bag, lift it incorrectly, or sling sling (sling) a bandage or suspensory for supporting a part.

mandibular sling  a structure suspending the mandible, formed by the medial pterygoid and masseter muscles and aiding in
 the pack Over one shoulder, you can strain the soft tissues in your back, including your back muscles, spinal cord spinal cord, the part of the nervous system occupying the hollow interior (vertebral canal) of the series of vertebrae that form the spinal column, technically known as the vertebral column. , nerves, and blood vessels Blood vessels

Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names.
. "Soft tissues help bones support your body in an upright position Upright position or erect position, in a frequency-division multiple access multiplexer, means that a signal is upconverted to the multiplexer band without inverting the frequencies. See inverted position. ," explains Jacoby.

How can a bookbag make your back ache? The most common problem is toting a bag that's too heavy. When you do, your center of gravity (the imaginary center of your body that balances your weight) shifts. To counter added weight from your pack, you lean forward and round your shoulders, which pulls your back out of its normal position and can permanently alter your posture.

Picking up a heavy book bag is like a crane hoisting a large object--only the human body is far more breakable! As you lift your bag, you generate a force of rotation called torque. Torque is equal to the weight of your bag times the bag's distance to your waist. Your waist acts as a pivot, or folding point. "If you bend over Bend over may refer to the action of bending one's body over, as in to pick up something, or, for example, as the hydra does in order to move when hunting, in dancing (like in the various breakdance moves), gymnastics, and sports (like snap football).  at the waist to pick up a 5-kilogram (11 pound) bag, it places 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of weight on the soft tissue of the spine!" says Jacoby.

How can you combat backpack stress? Use both shoulders and make sure your bag weighs no more than 15 percent of your total body weight. And, "when picking up your backpack, keep your back straight, and squat," adds Jacoby.
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No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
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Title Annotation:weight of backpacks
Author:Weinstock, Maia
Publication:Science World
Article Type:Brief Article
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Nov 1, 1999
Words:311
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