School Backpacks Can Cause Injury
Ensuring Spine Health During School
One of the most essential items in beginning the school year is the backpack, although its necessary it is also one of the leading causes of back and shoulder pain in children. As children go back to school there are some helpful tips to help prevent any unnecessary back pain.
How to Select A Proper School Backpack
Children should never carry more than 10% of their body weight in a backpack.
The backpack should not have non-padded shoulder straps, these put extra pressure on the child’s neck and shoulders.
Children should be using both straps when the backpack is on their back, not using just one strap, this can cause low back pain and muscle spasms.
The backpack should never be wider or longer than the child’s torso, and it should not hang more than 4 inches below the waistline. This can cause the child to lean forward and cause low back and neck pain.
The backpack should have a padded back to provide extra comfort.
The backpack should be centered in the middle of the child’s back.
The backpack should be packed evenly so that it doesn’t put extra strain and stress on one side of the body more than the other.
Along with these helpful tips receiving chiropractic care can help with any extra strain and stress put on a child’s back and neck during school season. Here at Hamilton Mill Chiropractic we offer adolescent chiropractic care along with tips and exercises in order to help ease into school season and to lessen any back and neck pain.