Backpacks provide children with a useful, relatively safe tool for toting books and supplies to and from school, but they can cause back pain, strain, pulled muscles, or injury if used improperly. When it comes to backpack use, the majority of the responsibility is up to your child. Speak to your child about proper backpack use, the risks of improper use, and these backpack safety tips from our chiropractor in Yorkville.

1. Design for Functionality - Backpack styles reflect current trends, and children often use backpacks as a form of self expression. Backpacks, however, should be selected discriminately. Packs with single straps worn across the body, like messenger bags, unevenly distribute weight, and can cause injury or strain. Packs with narrow straps cut into the shoulders, hindering circulation, pinching nerves, and causing numbness or pain in the arms. Let your child choose a backpack with thick, padded straps and a padded back for added comfort and to prevent your child from being injured by anything sharp inside the pack. In addition, some backpacks come with a waist belt, which helps to more evenly distribute weight across your child's body.

2. Weight - Choose a pack constructed of a lightweight material like canvas. Backpacks (including contents) should weigh no more than ten to fifteen percent of your child's body weight. Talk with your children about how much is safe to carry in their backpacks.

3. Wear it Correctly - Either due to appearance or ease, children often carry backpacks using only one shoulder strap. This, however, puts all of the weight of the pack on one side of your child's body, and can lead to injury and back pain.

Physical Therapy to Prevent or Relieve Back Pain

Children experiencing back pain due to an overly heavy or improperly worn backpack can benefit from physical therapy to correct injuries and strengthen core muscles. If your child complains of back pain, contact our office for a consultation today.

Do you think your child's backpack comes home from school heavier than it should?