Can a Backpack Cause a Back Problem In Your Child?

Back to school time means it’s time to shop for the newest, coolest, trendiest backpack, but which backpack is the best for your child’s health?  It may come as a surprise to some parents, but backpack safety should be taken seriously.  Scientific research reveals an alarming danger associated with improper childhood backpack use. This research indicates 60 percent of youth experience at least one low-back pain episode caused by improper use of backpacks. Back pain leads to more than 19 million doctor visits per year, according to the U.S. Department of Human Health and Services. Backpack Safety America sites that 90 percent of chiropractors see patients (ages 5-18) reporting back, neck or shoulder pain caused by heavy backpacks.

How exactly does carrying a backpack affect the spine? The average child’s backpack weighs 12 pounds.  Common sense tells us that a load, distributed unevenly, will cause problems over time. Stress to a child’s spine causes mechanical and structural problems, which may lead to a condition called vertebral subluxation. Subluxations are areas of the spine that shift out of alignment and cause pressure on nerves. Subluxations cause problems like neck and back pain, but also more serious problems like scoliosis, asthma, and poor concentration. If your child is experiencing any back related problem, you should have him or her checked by your local chiropractor. 

Make sure to start your child’s school year out right by following these backpack safety tips:

Choose a backpack designed for safety and comfort, with generous padding in the back and shoulders.

A backpack should have belts that strap around the hips and chest for extra support.

Backpacks with pockets and compartments inside distribute the weight across the back evenly.

Look for a backpack with straps on the sides or bottom to compress the contents, so that items are as close to the back as possible.  

A backpack should never weigh more than 15 percent of your child's body weight and it should not rest lower than the base of the child's back.

Dr. Justin Brown is a local chiropractor and owner of Friends and Family Spinal Care in Coral Springs, FL.  If you have further questions, you may contact him at (954) 369-1212 or at drbrown@familyspinalcare.com.