Back to school…back to school. It’s August, so it’s back-to-school time for everyone. All you hear about is “Back to School savings”, “Back to School trends”, supplies lists, Meet the Teacher nights, and the list could go on, but is anyone talking about “Proper Backpack Fitting to Reduce Back and Shoulder Pain”? No? We didn’t think so.
Every parent, grandparent, guardian, teacher, and loved one of our children wants to see our kids get off on a good foot for a successful school year. One important item each child carries is a backpack. Even though our kids see the backpack as an accessory to their everyday look, it can also be a root cause for shoulder and/or back pain later down the road.
Today, we are going to provide you with tips on how to best fit your child’s backpack to their bodies (no matter how big or small) to reduce their risk of shoulder or back pain, better setting their bodies up for a successful school year.
3 Tips for Proper Backpack Fitting:
- Always wear both straps on your shoulders. Avoid carrying your backpack only over one shoulder. Utilizing both shoulder straps helps to evenly distribute the weight of the backpack through both shoulders, which also helps improve your balance while carrying the backpack.Wearing the backpack on one shoulder has shown to increase neck pain due to altered posture. It also changes your walking pattern, which then negatively impacts your core and hips.For older students who may have more to carry in their backpacks, if the backpack has a chest strap and/or waist strap, using this strap can also help evenly distribute the weight and reduce the stress on the students’ shoulders.
- The backpack should be adjusted to sit high on the back, approximately 1-2 inches above the waistline.
- Wearing the backpack in a “low riding” position increases a forward-leaning posture, causing increased stress on the low back. To avoid any stresses on the body, it’s best to adjust the backpack to the best fit as soon as you put it on.
- Wearing a coat? No problem! Your backpack may need different adjustments based on what clothing you’re wearing to accommodate the extra layers
- The weight of the backpack matters! Researchers and pediatricians suggest the backpack shouldn’t weigh any more than 10-20% (15% is optimal) of the student’s body weight.
3 Ideas for Adjusting a Heavier Backpack for Safer Carrying:
- Organize the items of the backpack to where the heavier items are toward the center to avoid loading one side of the body more than the other.
- If the backpack is consistently heavier than this percentage, a rolling backpack may be the next best option.
- It’s also best to start with a lighter backpack and work up to carrying the heavier weights to train the muscles and make them strong enough to carry the heavier load when needed.
- Proper backpack fitting doesn’t just apply to students. These tips can be applied to your gym bag, work bag, diaper bag, or any bag you need on a daily basis. Keeping your body healthy and moving pain-free is iMove PT’s goal for all our patients and our readers out there.
If you want your iMove PT to make sure your student is set up with a properly fitting backpack, or you want them to check out how you’re carrying whatever bag you have, just ask at your next therapy session or contact us at 636.893.8312 or email us at info@imovephysicaltherapy.com.
iMove PT will go wherever you are, whether it’s home, your office, or your home gym. You will receive 60 minutes of one-on-one specialized care every single therapy session. We look forward to keeping you and your family moving safely, effectively, and pain-free.
Thank you for reading and as always…Stay Home, Stay Strong!