This Event Will Scare Your Spine Straight
October is Physical Therapy Month, and students and faculty at St. Petersburg College’s Health Education Center want to prevent tomorrow’s backaches today. The Center recently held an event showing students ways that they can navigate their days – which involve carrying books and spending long hours at a desk or in front of a computer screen – without doing damage to their skeletal frames. Lifting properly, practicing good ergonomics in a work environment, and wearing your backpack properly may seem like small things, but Sophomore Class President and Event Volunteer Stephanie Perez says that they make a big difference.
“We just wanted to show our students, faculty, and staff ways of being safe for Physical Therapy Month,” Perez said.
Mary Hanlon, who has been a physical therapy assistant and instructor at HEC in the physical therapy assistant program for the past 27 years, agrees. She spent the afternoon instructing students what to look for in a backpack and how to wear it properly. Hanlon stressed the importance of buying a backpack with the right features, rather than one that is fashionable. Here are some features to look for:
- Padded back: Protects the back
- Padded straps: Decreases pressure points on shoulders and chest
- Hip and chest belts: Help re-distribute weight to the pelvis
- Multiple compartments: Loads can be evenly distributed into different areas of the pack
- Compression straps: Stabilize articles and draw heavy objects closer to the back
- Reflective material: allows the wearer to be seen
She also pointed out these best practices:
- A backpack should be worn over mid-back, and not allowed to hang low.
- Pack heavy items first so they are lower and closer to the body.
- Wear both straps. A single strap alters posture.
“This is knowledge that students can use, but also something they can take home to their families,” said Hanlon.
It isn’t just the weight that students carry around that can be a problem. Posture is important, too. At the texting and computer station first-year student Patti Barker and Doug Harwood, a lab facilitator, were there to talk to about head and body position when typing. Bad posture, such as slouching or holding the head at more than a 30 degree angle, can cause headaches, backaches and wrist pain, according to Harwood.
“It’s like carrying a bowling ball,” Harwood said. “You don’t want to carry it at arm’s length because it is heavier when it’s away from your center of gravity. It is the same thing with your head.”
Barker said that students were surprised what a difference in comfort that good posture, sitting up straight and keeping your head better elevated could make. She reminded students to “move better, feel better, live better” as she instructed them on proper ergonomics. An ounce of prevention during Physical Therapy Month and every month is worth more than a pound of cure.
Interested in making a difference in people’s lives by helping them to regain the ability to walk and carry on their daily activities? A career in physical therapy might be the right choice. The field is expected to grow by 46 percent by 2020. Learn about the Physical Therapy Associate in Science degree at St. Petersburg College and other programs offered at the Health Education Center.