Offering backpack safety information and expertise can reach untapped sources for increasing your new patient base

Doctors of chiropractic know that they are the most underutilized health care practitioners in the world. Even in the United States, by best estimates, we still only treat about 15% of the public who can receive our type of health care. There is one area, however, where we are considered the experts—the treatment of back pain and injuries to the spine and spinal joints.

Back to School
Almost 100% of children in grade school, high school, or college, carry backpacks to transport books and materials. Statistics released by the American Occupational Therapy Association show that most backpacks are overloaded, unbalanced and can cause damage to the spine. So why are we missing the boat on prevention and education of backpack safety? Why are others trying to be the experts in the field, when by default, the chiropractic profession should be the authority in backpack safety?

A recently published study by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) shows children should not carry more than 15% of their body weight. The same study gives recommendations for packing a backpack and for limiting what goes in. Was this done by a chiropractor or by one of the many chiropractic organizations? No, it was done by the APTA.

For many years, chiropractic doctors have given information about back safety. Included in this was back school, rehabilitation training, and exercises. But we let the ball drop on backpack safety. Every DC is aware that an ideal weight for a child’s backpack is about 10% of body weight, and the maximum should not exceed 17%. These figures, espoused by chiropractors all over the world, come from extensive studies done in Sweden and Brazil and have even attributed to laws in South America limiting the amount of weight a teacher can make a child carry. However, educating our patients is not enough, because we only see a small percentage of the public.

It would be good if the media would call local chiropractors for information about backpack safety, but that will not happen without spending a lot of money in public relations. In the meantime, we are losing ground on one way to make the public aware we are the specialists in spinal care and prevention of spinal injuries. The time is now to stake our claim and give our expert opinion.

Mission: Possible
So where do we go from here? To mimic chiropractic organizations (such as the American Chiropractic Association, International Chiropractic Association, and World Chiropractic Association) would be of no additional help, as we would be doing no more than anyone else. Like all DCs who have been in practice for a while, we have to give the patients/students more than they pay for and do it for a reasonable price. No one has been able to find a vehicle to provide this information, but it has been staring us in the face all along. Backpacks are the answer to getting the word out about chiropractic care and prevention of spinal injuries by providing guidelines.

Every chiropractor should have information about backpack safety available in their office for distribution. This should be a reasonable request, but ask most DCs for written material to distribute to patients or schools and mostly what you will get (if you are lucky) is a pamphlet of minimal information that is of little use in choosing a proper backpack, packing it correctly, or spine injury statistics.

A proper information sheet should include:

• The backpack should weigh no more than 17% of the carrier’s weight; 10% is the recommended weight.
• Backpacks should be loaded with the heaviest books in first, and closest to the back.
• Wide, heavily padded shoulder straps should be worn at all times.
• A waist strap should be used if the pack approaches (or exceeds) the recommended weight.
• Make a checklist of what is needed for the day, and leave other items at home.
• Have an additional fanny pack carried in front for cell phones, calculators, and other smaller items.
• Teach proper lifting techniques. Bend at the hips and knees, then pick up the backpack, keeping the load close to the body. Never sling backpacks on one shoulder.
• Look for styles with compartments to distribute the weight.
• Adjust the straps so the backpack fits snugly against the back.
• If the child is leaning forward to carry the pack, it is too heavy.
• Recommend ergonomic backpacks with proper weight distribution.
• Choose a pack that distributes the weight into the lower back more than the shoulder area.

If every DC in the nation was handing out this information, we would become the de facto standard of information on backpacks just by sheer numbers. There are many ergonomic backpacks that are better than most off-the-shelf backpacks from the local drug store or mall.

Telling Tales in School
Providing this information is only one small step in the process necessary to deliver the message to parents and educators. Remember, do not just give them information, help them. Teachers and educators are too busy to worry about backpack safety, but they are more than willing to speak in their classes. Contact the schools in your area (usually the vice principal) and set up an assembly about how to properly pack a backpack.

You should know how to take one of their own backpacks and pack it better so that they can carry the load. Teach students to remove items not needed everyday, and to carry it properly on both shoulder straps. Not only will you educate the students, but you will also receive kudos from the school and administration for doing a job they know little about, but hear about all the time. Each child should get your backpack guidelines outlined above on your letterhead, so parents can call your office. Be prepared for an onslaught of questions.

Provide different types of backpacks (especially ergonomic ones) for students to see and eventually purchase (hopefully from you). By offering different backpacks, you are showing that you are are concerned about their spines, especially during the growing years. If you can, have a drawing for a backpack while you are there.

What can all this mean to you as a doctor and a business person? In the eyes of your community, you become the expert on backpacks. This leads to many questions about spinal health, and about health care in general from the parents and educators. If you went to a school of 400 students and 20% came to you for backpack safety or other spinal health care problems, this makes for cost-efficient education and taps into a new source for patients.

Packing a Punch
Lastly, when offering backpacks in your office for sale, the quantity you sell determines how much profit can be made, but unlike vitamins and other products carried by chiropractors, backpacks can make a larger profit per item sold. I always recommend looking around town in the mall and other shops to compare prices of backpacks. Packs you carry in your office should be priced right or just above what a premium backpack costs, so that price (to the student) is not an issue. What you are selling is back injury prevention. Do not allow price to be a barrier to providing safety. Although you may have to sell the packs for less than they can be purchased elsewhere (such as on the Internet), you can make your profits on quantity of sales.

The business of backpacks consists of so much more than just carrying them in your office for sale. It is the responsibility of all chiropractic doctors to educate, assist, and instruct the public on backpack safety. With our expertise in spinal health care, we can become the standard that other practitioners emulate.

Kenneth Martin, DC, has been in practice for 27 years in Temple City, Calif. He can be reached via email: bacdoc@earthlink.net, or website: www.bacdoc. web.com.