updated August 22, 2019
Over 5,000 kids will visit the emergency room this year due to backpack related injuries…
and more than half of the students who use backpacks don’t heed the weight safety guidelines, according to a study by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that over 24,300 backpack-related injuries were treated at hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, and clinics in 2012 alone. Injury risks increase when a child, dealing with a heavy load, uses harmful postures.
How the weight affects kids 
“Kids will shrug their shoulders from the extra weight,” explains Beth Winkler-Schmit, CEO and co-owner of Magnolia Physical Therapy. “Then they’ll lean forward—putting their head and neck in poor position—so the weight of the backpack is resting on their lower back. Neck pain, middle and lower back pain will result.” Shoulders weren’t made to have things hanging from them.
The main obstacle in backpack usage is users needing to carry more than 15 percent of his body weight in his backpack. For a child weighing 80 pounds, for example, the maximum load should not exceed 12 pounds. “If their backpack is too heavy, take out some books and have them carry those in their arms,” says Beth.
See what your school can do to help
Some schools, like The Academy of the Sacred Heart, help students keep the loads a bit lighter by encouraging them to drop off the books they don’t need at their lockers and even having two sets of the heavy books—one that students use in the classroom, and another that they keep at home for studying and completing assignments.
In addition to heeding the weight guidelines, Beth recommends backpacks that have padded shoulder straps as well as side straps that fasten in the front for added stability and support. She notes that a backpack with wheels could be a good choice as long as the handle is long enough to prevent leaning or twisting, and the student doesn’t have to use stairs at school.
“Ask your kid how the backpack feels,” Beth says. “If it’s causing back pain, leaving marks on their arms, or making their arms tingle, it’s time to lighten the load.”
7 Tips for backpack usage
The AAOS recommends the following tips to help eliminate discomfort and reduce the risk of backpack-related injuries.
- Kids should carry no more than 15 percent of their body weight in their backpack.
- Use both shoulder straps to keep the weight of the backpack better distributed and adjust the shoulder straps to keep the load close to the back.
- Pack the heavier things low and toward the center.
- If the backpack seems too heavy, remove some of the books and have your child carry them in their arms.
- Carry only those items that are required; if possible, leave books at home or school.
- Encourage your child or teenager to tell you about numbness or tingling in the arms or legs which may indicate poor fit or too much weight being carried.
- Watch your child put on or take off the backpack to see if it’s a struggle.
Looking for more tips? Check out our ‘5 Tips for Back to School Health’!