DOHA: The number of children visiting Orthopedic Clinics at the Hamad General Hospital (HGH) for muscle and joint pain has increased recently.
Most of them have developed complications due to wrong use of backpacks and less physical activity, said an expert yesterday.
At least 40 percent of children visit the clinics suffer back, neck, shoulder and muscle pain, said Dr Omar Alnori (pictured), Associate Consultant, Orthopedic and Spine Surgery, HGH while speaking to media persons.
“Children visit us at the age of 13 or 14 years. It is more common than before. Some children we see in the clinic now have early arthritis in the lower back. But they are young and about 16 or 18 years old,” he said.
“To reduce joint and muscle pains at the early age, children should be encouraged to do more sport activities and follow correct practices while using backpacks. In most cases we give advice to change their lifestyle,” he added.
A safe backpack weight should be within 10 or 15 percent of the child’s weight.
“If the child is about 30kg-35kg weight, the bag should not weigh more than 3kg to 4kr kg with books,” said Dr Alnori.
An appropriate backpack should be light weight with multiple compartments. It should be packed with essential books and with heavier ones towards the trunk. Length of the backpack should be from the shoulder to the waist-line of a child.
“Straps should be wide and on both shoulders of the child to balance weight. Or it will cause lower back pain. Straps of the backpack should be tightened as well as waist and chest straps will give extra support for the child,” said Dr Alnori.
He also said that trolley bags are safer for children compared to backpacks. However, Dr Alnori insisted that children should use trolley bags carefully, especially while getting into vehicles.
