The whole backpack awareness day in my opinion is a little on the shady
side. OTs are educating students and teachers that there should be a
10% body weight limit placed in back packs and often have students use
a scale to weigh themselves and then their backpacks. The problem is
from my understanding and from completing a quick literature review on
OTseeker.com and Pubmed, that there is insefficient data for such
recommendations. In fact the most recent publication in Work (2009)
demonstrates that the body weight limit did not factor in much at all,
but instead it was shown that a possible psychological component
involved that caused this adolescent back pain that spans into
adulthood. It did show that both straps of the backpack should be worn
versus unilateral and the most troublesome spot for injuries to occur
would be in the unstable shoulder and not the back. So perhaps we need
to complete psychological profiles versus weighing the backpacks?
You cannot tell me that AOTA is not aware of this research. Do they
ignore it because of the free publicity that OTs receive? Creating a
solution that does not really help in hopes to promote the profession
is odd in my opinion. I am not an expert in this area, so I would love
to learn what the experts have to say about this topic. Perhaps I am
missing the important data that AOTA is reading.
Chris Nahrwold MS,OTR
-----Original Message-----
From: Diane Randall <spark...@rcn.com>
To: OTlist@OTnow.com
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2009 10:41 pm
Subject: Re: [OTlist] Backpack Unawareness
I am not familiar with what the controversy is surrounding this issue.
What
research about this is lacking? What kind of money is being spent on the
issue and why is it not relevant to OT? Diane COTA/L Peds
-----Original Message-----
From: otlist-boun...@otnow.com [mailto:otlist-boun...@otnow.com]on
Behalf Of cmnahrw...@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 21:13
To: OTlist@OTnow.com
Subject: Re: [OTlist] Backpack Unawareness
Yes, especially since there is little research to back it up.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Carson <rdcar...@otnow.com>
To: OTlist <OTlist@OTnow.com>
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2009 7:17 pm
Subject: [OTlist] Backpack Unawareness
Does anyone else think that AOTA's dribble on Backpack Awareness is a
total
waste of time and money? Well, maybe not for school/ped
therapists, but
certainly for the rest of the OT world.
Ron
~~~
Ron Carson MHS, OT
www.OTnow.com
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