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Lighten the load: Occupational therapist warns parents about overloading backpacks

By Linda Ann Chomin
O & E STAFF WRITER
October 12, 2008

Cole and Haley Dolan before they learned about the right way to use a backpack at Inspired Wellness in Birmingham.

Cole Dolan complains almost every day about his heavy backpack so when his mother Lauri Dailey learned about a workshop at Inspired Wellness she was eager to learn how to lighten up the load. Dailey not only took 11-year-old Cole, but her daughter Haley Dolan, 8, as well as their book bags. Kelly Hale, an occupational therapist and owner of the Birmingham center, provided tips for parents at the event held in conjunction with National School Backpack Awareness Day in September.

"Cole is in middle school this year so he has a lot more books. Kelly showed how to balance the bag with a book on each side and notebooks in middle," said Dailey of Birmingham. "She tightened up the shoulder straps so the backpack sat higher to the shoulder."

Hale knew right away when Cole walked in that she could help reduce the burden the backpack was placing on his spine. For years she had seen children coming in for problems with the spine and back.

Inspired Wellness is a holistic center providing healing modalities and movement techniques. Pre-conditioning is equally as important as rehabilitation at the center, formerly known as Functional Fitness. In addition to services such as craniosacral and massage therapy, nutrition and life coaching, Inspired Wellness holds Pilates classes which can help prevent injuries in everyone from golfers to gardeners and new mothers.

"Before the workshop Cole had the backpack on one shoulder. They need it on two. I encourage double strap backpacks and if there's a waist strap they should use it as well," said Hale of Bloomfield Township, "He was taught to properly pack it, to carry the textbook to lighten the load. In general kids were carrying a lot more weight than they should. The most common mistake is overloading. A lot of schools are not permitting rolling bags but that would of course be a great solution. Some parents are buying them a book for school and a book for home but that's expensive.

"Haley was using a Messenger Bag. That's OK because in elementary school they have less books and homework. But in the future a backpack would be better."

For those who couldn't attend the workshop Hale is offering to assess backpacks. To arrange a time, call (248) 988-8098.

During the workshop Hale also held a half-hour class on Brain Gym, one of the services offered at Inspired Wellness.

"A lot of kids come in for Brain Gym when they're having problems with concentration and focus. By using a series of simple exercises and movements Brain Gym can help a child or adult whether on the soccer field or for an exam or presentation. It's an alternative for managing ADD/ADHD."

Cole Dolan used Brain Gym movement with success.

"It's simple movement designed to connect body and mind," said Dailey. "You're crossing your hands and feet at the same time and it helps you take out the excess noise and chatter of the world and focus. It helped him narrow in the world. It was his best math quiz of the year. I tried it and sometimes these things seem like voodoo but I felt it made you stay in the here and now."

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©2009 Functional Fitness — Inspired Wellness
1185 South Adams · Birmingham, MI 48009 · 248-988-8098