With progressively challenging curriculum and advancing technology, your child’s backpack is not getting any lighter. Between heavy textbooks, computers and tablets, the contents of your child’s backpack can add up to quite a load. Have you found yourself wondering if all that added weight is safe? Or, maybe you’ve questioned what you can do to lessen the stress a backpack puts on your child’s body? The pediatric physical therapists are here to put those worries and questions at ease. Here are answers to some common questions regarding backpack use:

How Heavy is Too Heavy for My Child’s Backpack?

Your child’s backpack should be no heavier than 10-15% of their body weight. This means, if your child weighs 80lbs, their backpack shouldn’t weigh more than 8-12lbs.

Here are a few things you may notice if your child’s backpack is too heavy:

• It leaves red marks on their shoulders
• The backpack causes pain
• It causes notable changes in their posture
• Your child is reporting tingling in their arms or legs

Is There Anything I Can Do To Make My Child’s Backpack Feel Lighter?

Yes! Here is a simple trick to distribute the load better:  Many backpacks have a main compartment that is closest to the straps. This is where the heaviest items should go in your child’s backpack. Placing the heaviest items in this part of the backpack will allow for greater efficiency of the muscles of the spine to ensure they don’t tire too easily.

My Child Prefers to Wear Their Backpack on One Shoulder, is That Bad For Them?

The short answer is yes. Something many pediatric physical therapists will tell you, posture matters. While your child may think it “looks cool”, wearing a backpack asymmetrically on only 1 shoulder can put an unnecessary amount of stress on the shoulder joint, collar bone, and muscles of the neck and back. For children with scoliosis or who are predisposed to scoliosis, the added weight on one side can exaggerate those spinal curves.

My Child’s Backpack Comes With Many Straps, Does That Mean We Should Use Them?

Especially with heavy backpacks, we recommend using all the straps provided on the backpack. We recommend adjusting those straps when you first start using a backpack. The straps should be tightened up every so often to ensure that the backpack is in the appropriate position.

What Is The Correct Position Of The Backpack When It Is On My Child?

Quite often, children’s backpacks are either too large for them or the straps are not fastened correctly, resulting in the backpack resting too far down the backs of their body. A backpack should sit higher than you may think. The bottom of the backpack should not extend beyond your child’s low back. If it does, the backpack may be too large or the straps may need adjustment.

You may need to tighten the straps on your child’s backpack if you:

• notice your child’s lower back is hyperextended (swayback position)
• see that your child’s backpack clunks and shifts around with each and every step
• notice that your child’s backpack looks unlevel

What Can A Pediatric Physical Therapist Do To Help?

Each child has their own unique needs when it comes to successfully completing a school day and concerns or stress around wearing a backpack should not be one of those needs. As physical therapists, we can be a great resource if you’re having difficulty choosing or fitting a backpack for your child. Together, we will come up with a plan to ensure that any physical limitations are being met with appropriate adaptations and adjustments to the backpack. Above all, physical therapists can help develop an individualized exercise program to ensure your child is pain-free while being able to maintain good posture and sufficient muscle endurance while wearing a backpack.

Please Reach Out To A Physical Therapist If:

• You have any questions or concerns about how your child’s backpack is fitting
• Your child is reporting pain when wearing a backpack
• Your child reports tingling or numbness when wearing a backpack

To learn more about how the physical therapists at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center can help your child, click here! In addition, if you’d like to discuss any other questions or concerns you may have, call our office at Chicago Therapeutic Children’s Academy at 773-780-3003. We look forward to meeting you and discussing our amazing programs.