Can wearing a backpack cause spine problems?

What is one common problem that children across the globe face from school? The answer is chronic back pain that comes from lugging a heavy backpack around all day long – aka backpack pain. Too many kids have multiple books, folders, binders, and importantly, a heavy computer, weighing them down as they walk from class to class or from home to school. It is unhealthy for anyone to have that much weight on their back, in fact, it is recommended to have a maximum of 5-10% of the student’s body weight in their backpack. This recommendation tends to be unrealistic when it comes to the demands of an average school day; especially, with children wearing their backpacks in unconventional ways (one strap on their shoulder etc.). So, what is the fix to prevent back pain from backpacks? Although people might not initially consider it for a child, chiropractic care can help with this issue.

A simple way to know if the backpack is too heavy is if your child is struggling to put the backpack on! Also, a sign that the bag is too heavy is if they are no longer walking upright, but instead lean their torso forward to attempt to counterbalance the load.  Remember to clean out the backpack often as clutter leads to unnecessary weight. Try to have them minimize what they are bringing to and from school.

What you could do as a parent to help?

As a parent you should ensure that the weight of your child’s backpack should not exceed 10-15% of his or her body weight. Apart from this you should provide your child with bags that have multiple components. You must also consider bags with tightened, padded straps worn on both shoulders. This will ensure better distribution of the overall weight. As a student your child may also have to be seated at the desk over prolonged periods. Thus you must encourage him or her to sit with the right posture. Otherwise in case if your child is prone to slouching, rounding the shoulders, or protruding the head forward may experience further pain as a result. 

Consulting an experienced chiropractor for lower back pain

While drugs/medication/opioids can help reduce the pain by turning off the pain receptors, it doesn’t actually solve the problem; it just masks it.

Your body is a great machine that can actually heal itself in a lot of cases given the opportunity.

Chiropractic Care is one of the ways you can increase your internal healing power by ensuring the brain/body connection is free and clear of obstructions.

If your spine is out of alignment and cannot clearly talk with your brain then your problems will continue.