What happens when you combine heavy bags, large textbooks, laptops and other cumbersome supplies with Fairfield’s hilly terrain? According to Dr. Karin Drummond of Drummond Chiropractic in Indiana, such a combination can cause functional scoliosis and other strains on the back.
Functional scoliosis is a medical term used to describe a large curve in the spine from one side to another, usually in the shape of the letter “c” or the letter “s.” It also has a seven times greater risk to be found in females over males, according to WebMD.
“I think the majority of the problem with people getting back pains is that people like to make their bag a fashion statement and carry tote bags rather than regular backpacks, making the weight disproportionate,” said Allyson Wuensch ’10. “I think that if everyone carried a backpack, there wouldn’t be problems with back pains, but most people, like myself, like to carry around totes.”
Strain on the back is increasing among college students across the nation and students at Fairfield are feeling the trend.
Stephanie Luciani ’10 said although she does not carry vast amounts of supplies to every class, her math class requires her to bring a heavy textbook to class every day.
“Although the workload is not that big, I do have to bring the book to every class to understand the material,” said Luciani. “I use a one-shouldered bag, so my back tends to hurt on the walk back from that class.”
Gary Nelson, the director of Fairfield’s Health Center, said scoliosis is a serious problem, but he does not see it as a major condition at Fairfield.
“From the Health Center’s perspective, we hardly ever see students with back issues related to carrying heavy books or backpacks,” he said.
Since scoliosis deals with the growth of the bones, Nelson acknowledges that many college students could not develop it during their college years; it could only be worsened.
“Usually college-age students have gone through the growth period for bone development, and as such would be less prone to develop scoliosis,” he said.
Although scoliosis may not be developed, there is the risk of acquiring other strains in the back because of heavy books and backpacks.
Biology majors, including Jenn Dombrowski ’10, often carry large textbooks to classes, which may lead to health problems in the future.
“If anything, teachers don’t really make us bring textbooks to class. But when I have had to on rare occasions, I am worried that I’ll break my bag,” she said. “I know that it’s physically impossible for me to carry three textbooks at a time, with no breaks in between classes.”
Scoliosis and heavy bags are linked because of the weight put onto a student’s back, especially if the bag is one-shouldered. Drummond suggest to carry bags on both shoulders to distribute the weight or on the hips because they can hold more weight than the shoulders.
Whether or not students feel that their backs are being broken on a daily basis because of the amount of books they need to carry to class, Drummond emphasizes the importance of exercise.
Yoga, Drummond said, is extremely helpful, and could help ease pains in the body, especially problems in the future. If students do feel they are suffering, chiropractic help is suggested because it is “great for realignment.”
“I think the workload and the amount of books you carry plays a huge part in the amount of strain put on your back,” Luciani said. “Going to the gym does help if you do work out the right muscles.”
Leave a Reply