Backpack safety and injury prevention tips

Choosing the coolest backpack can set the tone for the new school year. However, improper backpack use can cause long term injuries to children.

Backpacks can be used for students to express themselves. When used correctly they come in handy. When worn incorrectly they can strain muscles and cause back pains. Chiropractor Brad J. Dewitt said, “It’s not something that can directly affect them right now, but as they get older that tends to be a spot that keeps affecting them.”

Dewitt is a chiropractor at Dewitt Chiropractic Spine and Body in Gulfport. He sees more younger patients once school starts due to improper backpack use. “At the beginning of the year, we tend to see them just because of the strain of the backpack on their lower back and their posture change.”

Here are a few backpack tips to keep in mind heading into the new school year.  The one strap shoulder thing may seem cool, but it can cause lower and upper back pains as well as strain to the shoulders and neck. You want to make sure that the backpack isn’t hanging below the waist. You want more up top so it helps with posture. “Another high point is to make sure the backpack weighs ten percent of their body weight. When you’re loading the backpack you want to pack the heavy stuff closer to your back. That way the weight is closer so there’s not a lot of strain on the back,” said Dewitt.

Also bigger backpacks can lead to carrying more things. So, the size of the backpack can reduce the risk of injury. “The bigger the backpack means they are leaning forward and we don’t need that. They need to keep their posture up and make sure the strap is on both shoulders.”

If your child starts to feel back pains from their backpack they can do doorway stretches at home to practice good posture. “If we can correct it now and have better posture now it will help them later in life.”