What can be done against the development of rounded backs among schoolchildren?
Happily word has now got round that one-sided loads should be avoided while children are young and their bodies are still growing. The good old school knapsack has experienced something of a colourful resurgence recently, with currently fashionable shapes resembling something between a box and a rucksack. Provided the knapsack is properly packed, the load is equally distributed across both shoulders. But what about the two straps by which the knapsack or rucksack hangs? These pull the shoulders downward and to the rear. To compensate this, children apply shoulder tension in an upward and forward direction. And that is precisely the problem. The muscles that do this are usually the ones that are already shortened and tense. The muscles involved are in the area of the neck and chest. The heavier the knapsack, the more counter-pressure the child builds up. So on a daily basis it trains itself to pull the shoulders upward and push the head and upper torso forward. Once the weight of the kn
