Get the Right Backpacks for School and Avoid Long-Term Injury and Pain

When Fall comes each year, it's time for kids to head back to school and for parents to head to the store to get new backpacks for school. But how does a parent choose the right backpack for their particular student? The experts at the American Physical Therapy Association have been looking closely at school backpacks for many years. The experts at the APTA have found, once again, that most backpacks for school really do more harm than good.

The Experts Say Kids Are Carrying Too Much Weight in Their Backpacks for School

For whatever reason, most kids just try to carry too much in their school backpack or they simply wear them wrong. "Wearing backpacks improperly or ones that are too heavy put children at increased risk for musculoskeletal injuries", said Mary Ann Wilmarth, assistant dean and director of physical therapy program at Northeastern University at Boston. Wilmarth studied a number of kids between the ages of 5 and 14 and discovered that the older children who had been carrying backpacks longer, had developed problems with their posture.

There were apparent negative effects on the kids who carried the heavier packs. Heavy packs are backpacks that would be more than 15% of a child's total body weight. Additional studies conducted in Australia, New Zealand, and in other parts of the U.S. have arrived at the same conclusion: most kids carry too much weight, and they are carrying these heavy packs improperly. Obviously, more research is needed in order to determine the long-term effects on young children.

Get the Weight Right for School Backpacks

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Physical Therapy Association, and the American Chiropractic Association have all issued a number of warnings over past years to parents. These warnings are intended to inform parents and students about the long-term dangers of backpacks for school which are too heavy, or are worn improperly. The types of injuries to young children can lead to larger, more profound problems with the neck, back, and shoulders in the future.

The doctors who treat these type of backpack related injuries have provided some real easy guidelines for parents and students to follow. Typically, a backpack for school should weigh no more than 15% of a child's total body weight. So, for a child that weighs about 125 pounds, the total weight of their backpack should be no more than 18.75 pounds.

Tips to Find and Buy the Best Quality Backpacks for School

Do not fall for all the hype and advertising of typical retailers and their supposed special deals on backpacks. Most of the backpacks available at these retail stores are going to be sub-standard. They're typically made of cheap materials, and put together in a slipshod manner. Take a look at some of the better quality backpacks for school. JanSport®, L.L. Bean®, and North Face® all have some great, top-rated backpacks for school priced under $50, some even under $30.

Before you buy a backpack, inspect it carefully. Look for adjustable shoulder straps that have a lot of padding. When fitting the backpack to your child, make sure that no part of the pack itself hangs more than 3 or 4 inches below the belt. Look for backpacks that have several main compartments as these will help to distribute the load more evenly and make for a more comfortable fit.

When considering backpacks for school, do your homework. Try for a near perfect fit, look for quality craftsmanship, and durability. Properly fitting, quality made backpacks will help your child to avoid developing any long-term negative health problems brought on by cheaply made, inferior packs. All these things will help to provide a safe experience for your student this school year.

Sources:

MedicalNewsToday.com; "Children Carrying Heavy Backpacks Risk Poor Posture, Injury"

ChildrensHospital.org; "Is my child's backpack too heavy?"

PRNewsWire.com; "Is Your Child's Backpack Making the Grade?"

*Parenting&KidsMagazine.com; "Parent Points"

**BackpackSafe.com; "Backpack Safety America"