Could Your Child's Backpack be Causing Back Problems?

With the start of school comes the start of many challenges for some of our kids. Waking up early, homework, and lugging a backpack around all day. The added weight of a backpack sitting on the shoulders of a child can cause deformations of the spine that can worsen if not corrected. Low back pain is one of the largest problems that backpack weight can cause children, especially if the bag exceeds 10% of the child's body weight.

Studies show:

• Backpack injuries send an estimated 5000 children to the ER each year

• More than 14,000 children are treated each year for backpack related injuries

• 70% of students have a school bag greater than the “10% of body weight” rule

Heavily backpacks cause an unnatural tilt to the spine causing the spine to bend backwards and to the sides. As the body tilts, the muscles around the spine begin to form muscle memory to the position of the body, causing them to fall more easily into that position while at rest. Even when the child is not wearing their backpack. 

Chiropractic adjustments and proper stretching can help to keep the spine in the right position and avoid harmful posture changes.