Tips for keeping packs from causing back pain

It's a common sight in and around schools. Elementary and middle school students stagger under bulky backpacks that are stuffed with books, laptops and lunches, and then casually slung over just one shoulder. Although convenient and popular, backpacks can also be a source of back pain that encourages the development of a chronic structural disease.

It's not just the weight that causes problems, it's the way children tend to carry that weight. When backpacks are carried over just one shoulder or too low on the back, the result can be back pain, because the muscles rather than the bones are supporting the weight. While the back pain may not last, this poor posture can contribute to scoliosis, which can lead to back problems later in life.

Scoliosis — a condition commonly known as an abnormal curvature of the spine — frequently first begins to show up during the rapid growth spurts that occur in children from ages 10 through the adolescent years. Scoliosis affects about 3 percent of all children in this age group.

Think of your back like a crane used to move heavy materials. Your spine is the part of the crane that holds the weight and your muscles are the guide wires that provide stability and direction. Poor posture causes uneven muscle use that can pull the spine out of alignment, leading to scoliosis.

The following is suggested for proper backpack use:

• Choose backpacks that have wide, well-padded shoulder straps

• Always carry the backpack using one strap over each shoulder

• Adjust the straps so that the bottom of the backpack is at least two inches above the waist

• Use the backpack's waist strap to help distribute the weight

• If the child needs to lean forward to carry the backpack, adjust the shoulder straps or remove some excess weight from the pack. A full backpack should be no more than 10 to 15 percent of the child's total body weight

• Consider an alternative such as a carrying case with wheels. This approach would avoid much of the commonly seen back pain.
Dr. Robert Hahn
School of Osteopathic Medicine
University of Medicine &
Dentistry - New Jersey
Stratford