Back-to-School Tips for Reducing Backpack Pain
September 18, 2023
Added weight can also affect the hips, knees and ankles.
Students of all ages are back in school across Northeast Georgia, and that means thousands of students of all ages are carrying books in backpacks. And more books in backpacks means it’s important to know the right way to wear a backpack.
Why? Because a backpack full of books puts stress on the back, neck and shoulders. The added weight can also affect the hips, knees and ankles. A backpack that’s worn or loaded incorrectly can cause pain, affect posture and even lead to injury.
Here are some tips to make wearing a backpack this school year better and safer.
1. First and foremost: Make sure the backpack is not too heavy. The backpack should weigh no more than 10-20 percent of the student’s weight. If it’s heavier than that, try to find ways to lighten the load. Maybe it’s possible to leave some books in a locker at school overnight, or even have two copies of some textbooks, one for home and one for school. If it’s an option, choosing an online book instead of a hard copy can greatly reduce weight.
2. If the backpack has two straps, always use both of them. Using only one strap will cause all the weight to fall on one side of your body. This can directly lead to shoulder pain. But it can also cause back pain because you will lean the other way to counteract it. Over time, leaning like this makes muscles on one side of your spine stronger than muscles on the other side, creating an imbalance that affects your posture and results in pain.
3. Make sure the backpack is in the center of the back vertically when being carried. If the backpack hangs too low, it drags the shoulders and upper back backwards, against the natural curvature of the spine. To compensate, the person must lean forward, creating a “hunched” posture that can lead to pain and long-term problems. So, if the backpack sags below the belt, tighten the shoulder straps to keep it centered.
4. Make sure the backpack’s load is centered side-to-side. If you have something heavy on one side, you should have something of equal weight on the opposite side. (You may have noticed a trend here: symmetry is important!)
5. Put the heaviest books closest to the student’s back. Keeping the weight close to the body reduces the stress on the shoulders, spine and supporting muscles.
6. Some backpacks (especially those made for camping) have waist straps or even hip belts. Using a waist strap can stabilize the load and minimize shifting. Hip belts can redistribute some of the load from the shoulders to the hips, helping to align the weight closer to the body’s center of gravity and reducing stress on the upper body. If your backpack has either of these features, use it.
7. Use care when putting on or taking off a heavy backpack. Twisting while handling a heavy load can cause strains and sprains of muscles or ligaments. It’s even possible to herniate a spinal disk this way, which can cause long-lasting pain and disability or require surgery. Such an extreme outcome is rare from wearing a backpack, but it’s best to get in the habit of using good body mechanics at all times and at all ages.
Pain is our body’s way of saying something is wrong, so we need to pay attention to it. If wearing a backpack is causing neck, shoulder and/or back pain, that’s a signal that you need to make a change. The key things to remember are to keep the load as light as possible, keep the heaviest objects closest to the body, and make sure the backpack doesn’t put more weight on one side than the other.
If you have persistent back or shoulder pain, whether it’s from wearing a backpack or some other cause, physical therapy may help you reduce pain, heal damaged tissues, and maximize symmetry and muscular support to reduce the risk of future injury. St. Mary’s Health Care System provides physical therapy and other rehabilitative services for patients of all ages. If you think PT might be right for you, talk to your primary care provider or your child’s doctor about a referral for an evaluation and treatment. We are here to help!