Now, students carry a load of problems

If physiotherapists in the city are to be believed, the average weight of a student’s school bag has shot up by five kg in the last three years.

This, according to them, makes the new average weight almost 12-14 kg, including books, lunch bag, sports/music gear and equipment for other activities. While many schools have started locker and other facilities which help students leave a majority of their burden in school, they are still increasingly complaining about back ailments.

Physiotherapists claim that carrying more weight for a long period may cause prolonged back problem for children.

Everyday physiotherapists in the city encounter at least two worried parents complaining about their children’s back problem.

“Students studying in the high school are the ones who often complain the most. The mildest form is back pain lasts more than 15 days and then develops into something more serious like soreness of back and ultimately the spine damage. If these problems are diagnosed early, they can be rectified through physiotherapy and a set of exercises,” said Dr Manikandan, Senior Physiotherapist, Spectrum Physiotherapy Centre.

He explained that the most common problem among the children in the city today is Kyphosis - a curving of the spine which causes a bowing or rounding of the back, which leads to a hunchback or slouching posture.

A deconstruction of the load that students carry typically shows that while just three years ago the average weight of a school bag of a high school student was 10 kg, it is increasing day by day. “Today the average weight a student lugs around is close to 15 kg, including the lunch bag, textbooks, corresponding class note books and homework books. The lunch bag and sports/music gear adds to the weight of school bag,” a study pointed out.

Doctors have been constantly advising students to start carrying trolley bags and manage their notebooks in such a way that load is reduced. However, many other physiotherapists complain that another predominant factor is increasing obesity in kids.  “

The younger the child, the more easier it is get rid of the problem with proper diagnosis. Many schools either do not have a physical training period, or don’t have big grounds to train students. But every school has a canteen with junk food. This is leading to neuromuscular problems experienced early in life,” said prominent physiotherapist Dr Vijay Sarvotham.

He said he has seen a huge increase in such cases in the age group 13 to 16 years in the last five years.