Backpack Basics: A Weighty Issue

Written by Kathleen F. Miller and Lanning Taliaferro

Back-to-school shopping lists often have one backbreaker: a backpack. 

And if you have a middle school or high school student, chances are he or she is going to carry a ton of heavy books and folders in it. Also, some schools offer no lockers, so your child may be dragging around a Sherpa-sized pack all day.

Carrying a heavy backpack improperly over time can result in long-term challenges to posture, hips, legs and spines, says Dr. Jeffrey Friedman of All-County Chiropractic in Westchester.

Some of the common pain problems reported by kids and parents:

• strained muscles and joints
• headaches
• forward head posture
• back pain
• shoulder pain
• neck pain
• numb hands

From 2010 to 2011, backpack injuries in kids aged 5 to 18 increased 6.5 percent, from 12,924 to 13,766, according to a 2012 CNN article citing the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.  And a study by the University of Milan found students are often carrying more than the load considered appropriate for adults, Friedman said.

However, it's pain you can prevent. There are a few simple rules, Friedman says.

Limit the contents. Make sure the backpack weighs no more than 10-15 percent of a child's body weight when it's filled. "If it's heavier, they will have a tendency to list to one side or to bend forward," he says. "When a backpack is overloaded, the kid can't stand straight."

Bigger is not always better. A larger backpack just tempts kids to put more stuff inside.

Don't let backpacks ride low. “Shoulder straps should be cinched up with the backpack snug against their back, not hung low over their low back, pulling back on the spine. A backpack’s shoulder-strap anchor points should rest one to two inches below the top of the shoulders,” says chiropractor Stephanie Haugen.

Buy packs with pockets. The more compartments in a knapsack, the more the contents can shift to maintain equilibrium, Friedman says.

Straps are essentials. They should be wide and padded. And both of them should be on shoulders! A backpack hung negligently from one shoulder puts a disproportionate load on that side. 

Haugen, a parent of two, recommends several packs designed or endorsed by Doctors of Chiropractic. Air Pack brand backpacks, which her own kids use, are specifically designed to distribute weight better. Air Packs are available from Amazon.com and at some Chiropractic offices, she says. Other recommended brands include DC packs, Targus RakGear backpack’s and North Face.