SATURDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- As the new school year approaches, parents and children planning their "back-to-school" lists are urged to keep backpack safety in mind.

Each year, about 6,000 children in the United States experience backpack-related injuries, Linda Rhodes, an occupational therapist at MCGHealth Children's Medical Center in Augusta, Ga., explained in a news release from the medical center.

In an effort to cut down on the number of these injuries, Rhodes offers parents the following backpack safety advice:

• Choose a lightweight backpack that doesn't add too much to your child's load. The pack should have two wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back that will improve comfort and protect your child from being poked by the sharp points and edges of pencils, pens, rulers and other objects they need to carry.
• Select the proper size backpack for your child. It should cover no more than three-quarters of the length of your child's back.
• Load backpacks carefully. The maximum weight of a loaded pack should not be more than 15 percent of a child's body weight. Place the heaviest books closest to the back as they require the most body support. If a child has to lean forward to carry a pack, it's too heavy.
• Have your child wear the pack correctly. He or she should use both shoulder straps. Carrying a backpack on one shoulder puts too much strain on one side of the upper body. The straps should be snug, but not too tight. If a backpack has a waist strap, use it to help better support the load.

More information

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has more about backpack safety  .

SATURDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Protecting your knees when you're younger may help prevent serious problems such as arthritis and the need for knee replacement when you're older, an expert advises.

Research indicates that nearly half of adults develop arthritis in at least one knee by age 85, and the risk is even greater for obese people. Extra pounds increase the strain on knee joints, noted Dr. William J. Bryan, an orthopedic surgeon at the Methodist Center for Sports Medicine in Houston.

"Every time you take a step you apply three times your body weight to the knee. When you run it's five times, when you jump it's seven times. If you are experiencing frequent knee pain, lifestyle changes might be in order," Bryan said in a news release from the Methodist Center for Sports Medicine.

Weight loss is 70 percent diet and 30 percent exercise, he explained. "If you think you can eat the same and exercise the pounds away, you are mistaken. You have to change your attitude about the refrigerator for weight loss to happen," he said.

In terms of exercise, low-impact activities such as swimming and cycling are better for your knees than high-impact workouts such as running or aerobics. Having good core strength (abs, back and pelvis) also helps protect your knees, Bryan noted.

"If you have a strong core, you can better position your foot or knee on the ground to prevent damage. This is true whether you are exercising or performing mundane tasks such as getting out of the car and walking down the stairs," Bryan said in the news release.

Orthotics may also help protect your knees. Your knees can be subjected to abnormal stress if your shoes don't give you a stable base as you walk. Many patients experience dramatic reductions in knee pain after getting orthotics or shoes specifically made to fit their feet, according to Bryan.

"If you have knee pain that has lasted more than two weeks, you need to see a doctor because there might be something mechanically wrong with the knee," he said. "Making a few lifestyle changes might give you a better chance at staving off arthritis and/or eventual knee replacement," he added.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has more about knee problems.

FRIDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- With football season about to begin, it's time to remind players, parents and coaches how to prevent head and spinal cord injuries, says the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

"The annual incidence of football-related concussion in the United States is estimated at 300,000, and nearly 45,000 football-related head injuries were serious enough to be treated at U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2009," Dr. Gail Rosseau, a Chicago-area neurosurgeon, said in an AANS news release.

"While football is a collision sport with inevitable risks, most serious neurological injuries can be prevented if players, parents and coaches take injury prevention and concussions seriously," Dr. Mitchel S. Berger, AANS vice president and a member of the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Medical Committee, said in the news release.

"Football players who have sustained a concussion need to be withheld from play until all physical and neuropsychological symptoms and signs related to that concussion have resolved and they are cleared to return to play through an independent healthcare professional," he added.

The AANS offers the following tips to prevent head and neck injuries in football players:

• All players should undergo a preseason physical exam. Those with a history of prior brain or spinal injuries, including concussions, should be identified.
• Players should have sufficient preconditioning and strengthening of the head and neck muscles.
• Coaches and trainers should check that the players' equipment is properly fitted, especially the helmet, and that straps are always locked.
• Players should be discouraged from using the top of their football helmets as battering rams when blocking, hitting, tackling and carrying the ball.
• In order to avoid helmet-to-helmet collisions, ball carriers should be taught not to lower their heads when making contact with a tackler.
• Rules prohibiting spearing should be enforced in practices and games.
• Coaches and other team staff must be prepared for possible catastrophic spinal cord injuries. They must all know what to do in such a case. Being prepared and informed can help prevent a player from suffering a permanent disability.

More information

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers football injury prevention tips  .