By Megan Wehring
HAYS COUNTY – School is in session. Students have all the supplies they need to succeed but, is their backpack the right one for them?
According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), young children are suffering from back pain earlier than previous generations – and overweight backpacks can be a contributing factor. A study showed that over 70% of the children surveyed used a backpack that exceeded the recommended 10% of their body weight and of these children, 32% complained of back pain.
In 2017, an estimated 7,800 kids received emergency room treatment for backpack-related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
How to avoid pain
Dr. Brandon Solemsaas, senior staff chiropractor with Baylor Scott & White Health in Kyle, provided some tips to help families choose the right backpack for their student(s) as school starts.
“You don’t want it to be too big,” Solemsaas explained. “The big thing is weight – you don’t want more than 10% of their body weight. For a smaller kid, that’s not a lot of weight.”
“Backpacks are getting lighter than in previous years because classes are turning more paperless with technology,” Solemsaas said. “Fewer books are being carried around, as students use iPads or laptops.”
Solemsaas added that padded straps will go a long way, as well as using two straps compared to just one. Keeping students active for at least 30 minutes a day would be ideal to offset back pain.
“Back pain in kids can be attributed to a lot of things,” Solemsaas said. “I think the biggest thing is not even just the weight of the backpack, but physical activity as well. I think backpacks get over-blamed but you also want to listen to your child and if they start to have back pain, make sure they are wearing it right and not using just one strap or having it too low so it’s putting more stress on either their neck or low back.”
Backpacks on wheels should be used cautiously, according to the ACA, and on a limited basis by those who are not physically able to carry a backpack. They have their own risks including cluttering hallways – which could result in dangerous trips and falls.
If a child is experiencing any ongoing pain or discomfort from backpack use (more than two weeks), parents should call their chiropractor or pediatrician.
“If they have pain for a day,” Solemsaas explained, “some of that is that they are not used to wearing [the backpack] for a while, I would not jump to that they need to see a doctor right away.”
For more information, please visit https://handsdownbetter.org/avoid-pain-with-the-right-backpack/.
