Wondering About Backpack Safety? Your Chiropractor Has the Answers

Staff Writer

When you move your children’s backpacks after they drop them at the door, does it feel like each contains a bag of cement? Have you noticed your child struggling to put on the backpack or bending forward while carrying it, or complaining of tingling or numbness? Not a good beginning to the school year. Count on your chiropractor for good advice about backpack safety.

If you wondered about the cumulative effect wearing backpacks has on childrens’ bodies, your instincts are correct. Backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly may cause problems. Between 1999 and 2000, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that more than 5,400 ER visits were related to injuries caused by backpacks.

Wearing a heavy backpack can cause strains felt in the shoulders, back, and neck. As a child tries to compensate for the extra weight by leaning forward, the child’s spine can get out of alignment. It can also cause muscle fatigue and weakness. Your chiropractor knows this can result in poor posture and a misaligned spine.

The longer a child carries the extra weight he or she may have pain, muscle stiffness, and problems with flexibility and range of motion. Backpack wearing can significantly increase the child’s potential for injury. Chiropractors often see symptoms such as backache, sore or stiff neck, sore shoulders, and headaches.

Backpack Safety Facts

It’s common to see children carrying backpacks equaling as much as 25% of their body weight. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recommends a backpack weigh no more than 5% to 10% of a child’s weight.

A large, roomy backpack may always seem like a good idea. However, the more space there is to fill, the more likely your child will fill it. If something’s not essential, have them leave it at home, in their locker, or the classroom.

If your child regularly carries home a heavy backpack, you may need to talk to their teachers. Remind them that your chiropractor is concerned about the short- and long-term effects on children’s musculoskeletal development and function.

Remember, too, that your child may not think about telling you the backpack is too heavy. Observe their backpack habits, and intervene for them if necessary.

Show your child how to put the largest and heaviest items in first, usually in the largest pocket of the backpack.

For even weight distribution, be sure to make use of the multiple compartments for smaller items.

3 Keys to Backpack Safety

• Make sure your child uses both backpack straps. Using one strap shifts the weight to one side and this can cause muscle pain and posture problems.
• Make sure the shoulder straps are tight, so the backpack fits closely to your child’s back. A low-hanging backpack can cause spinal misalignment and pain.
• Encourage your child to use the chest and waist straps and adjust them to the load each time, to and from school.

7 Tips for Selecting the Right Backpack

Ensuring your child has the right-sized backpack and wears it properly can prevent back pain or posture problems. Follow these seven tips to allow your child to have a safe, healthy, pain-free school year!

1. Choose an appropriate size: Chiropractors recommend the backpack not be wider than your child’s torso. It also shouldn’t hang more than 4 inches below the waist.
2. Make sure it has wide, padded, and adjustable shoulder straps Double shoulder straps allow the weight to be spread out evenly. Wide, padded shoulder straps will prevent them from digging into the skin.
3. Inspect for a padded back to protect against contents inside from poking into your child’s body.
4. Chiropractors recommend using the waist and chest straps to help distribute the backpack’s weight more evenly across your child’s back.
5. Make sure it has multiple compartments so that the weight is distributed effectively.
6. Check for inside compression straps to stabilize the contents.
7. Chose a backpack with reflective material on the outside, so your child is more visible.

CUKC Chiropractic Health Center

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC), founded in 1922, is a private, nonprofit, chiropractic and health science-focused university in Overland Park, Kansas. The CUKC on-campus Chiropractic Health Center is open to the public and treats patients from Kansas City’s 15-county metro area. Our goal is to provide care and solutions for a better, more productive life for our patients.