Backpacks: ‘Pack it Light, Wear it Right’

It’s ‘back to school’ time – that special time of year when parents help children gather school supplies, including the right backpack.

Backpacks come in many different shapes and sizes so finding the proper fit isn’t always as easy as it seems. Choosing the right-sized backpack for your child is essential for preventing pain and strain in their backs, necks and shoulders.

Does your child complain about an aching back or shoulders, tingling arms or stooped posture? According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), about 55 percent of students carry a backpack that is heavier than the recommended guidelines.

Dr. Robert Keller, orthopedic surgeon with Ascension Crittenton Hospital, offers the following tips to help protect kids from backpack-related injuries:

*Backpacks should never weigh more than 10 percent of one’s body weight.

*The heaviest items in the backpack should be loaded closest to the child’s back.

*When picking out a backpack, the bottom of the backpack should rest in the curve of the lower back and should never rest more than four inches below the waistline.

*Both shoulder straps should be worn so that weight is evenly distributed, preventing the child from leaning to one side, which can cause pain and curving of the spine.

Dr. Keller says selecting a backpack with well-padded shoulder straps is also very important. Shoulders and necks have many blood vessels and nerves that can cause pain and tingling in the neck, arms, and hands when too much pressure is applied. He says straps should be adjusted so the backpack fits snugly to the back to prevent muscle strain, and waist straps should be worn if available to help distribute weight more evenly.