4 Quick Backpack Safety Tips Part 1

Tip #1: Watch the Weight

With a new school year comes exciting new classes and activities.  And with those classes and activities comes the need to haul books and assignment, equipment and instruments from point A to point B (and C and D and so on).  Parents are often surprised when their generally healthy child complains of neck, back, or shoulder pain. Even more so if they mention headaches, fatigue or tingling numbness in the arms.

Before you run to Web MD to see what the diagnosis could be, stop for a moment and think.  The culprit may be right in front of you...or in this case, behind them.

Backpacks that are the wrong size, wrong weight, poorly packed or poorly worn can lead to serious health challenges later in life.  But that doesn't change the fact that things need to be carried.

What is a parent to do?

Here is the First of Four Quick Tips for Backpack Safety (and what parents can do to help!)

Watch the Weight!

Backpack weight should not exceed 15% of your body weight (10% for younger children!).  As parents, we know how heavy those bags can get – when we do the math, how heavy should a child be that’s carrying a 25lb bag? At least 170 lbs! This means that a 100 lb child should not be carrying every book that they own on their back.

What can parents do?

Remind your children to only pack the essentials and pack them right.  The biggest, heaviest book stays closest to the body.  This helps keep their center of gravity without too much additional correction and pressure on their backs

Once you have the backpack under control, your child may notice a difference in muscle tension, headaches, neck or back pain. If issues persist, it is time to call your family chiropractor.  These types of issues are often easily corrected in children and teens and can make a world of difference to your child's health now and for years to come. The easiest thing to do is ask.

Check back next week for Tip #2 (or if you can't wait, check out Dr. Dan's Backpack Safety Video)

Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Follow him on facebook and twitter.