Back to School Means Back and Neck Pain for Many Children Carrying Backpacks

The statistics in a recent study in Britain involving school age children and the incidence of backpack related back and neck pain among 11 to 14 year olds noted a direct correspondence between low back pain and excessively heavy backpacks. Of those children involved in the study, 27% stated they had neck pain, 18% stated they suffered from upper back pain, and 22% stated they had low back pain.

With back to school around the corner, it seems important that we revisit these issues involving our children and the potential for serious spinal discomfort or injury due to excessive loads being carried in their backpacks. Other factors that contribute to back and neck pain in children involve the limitations inherent in school furniture and lack or ergonomic design causing further conduct and emotional problems.

Throughout the study, upper back pain demonstrated a direct correlation with backpack weight, emotional problems, school furniture and any previous injury or treatment of pediatric musculoskeletal pain.

Complaints of low back pain were mainly associated with previous injury or accident and were exacerbated by school furniture and emotional issues.

Additional details of the study reveal that backpack weight can have serious and detrimental effects on posture while carrying loads over 10% of a child's weight and placing the load asymmetrically (on one side or the other) versus even distribution between the shoulders and spine.

The most common weight of between 8kg and 12kg carried once a week by a child of an average age of 12 years, pushed the physiological limits of the child's postural system.

In addition to parents limiting the amount their child carries in their backpack to 10% of total body weight (not the current 22% that is typically common), making sure that the load weight is evenly distributed, and that any complaints of pain by your child are dealt with immediately with a visit to at least a family physician if not a pediatric chiropractic physician, parents can help to minimize or eradicate completely any long term spinal injury effects.

If your child is complaining of back or neck pain, make an appointment for a consultation and evaluation immediately with a pediatric chiropractic doctor in RI.