Pain Caused by Wearing Backpacks Wrong

It may be the style to wear your school backpack slung over one shoulder or riding low on your back, but that can lead to should pain and posture problems according to researchers from the University of San Diego, California School of Medicine. To prevent pain, students and work commuters should wear backpacks as they were designed to be worn, with two straps, high on the back.

It's Not Just Backpack Weight Causing Pain

"Contrary to popular belief, it's not just the weight of the backpack, but how it's carried," said research Henry Chambers, M.D., in a press release. "The pain generated is not just on the back. It includes the pressure on the skin, which causes nerve pain similar to that tingling sensation caused when a leg or arm falls asleep."

Previous research by the team showed that even in the high back position recommended, pressure built up under the straps and could block blood flow.

Slinging or Wearing Low Increased Pressure

The study used 10 healthy children age 12 to 14. When they walked wearing the backpack low on the back, the pressure was significantly higher than when wearing it correctly high on the back. Contact pressure was always higher on the right shoulder, no matter what position it was carried in. The researchers speculated that the youths altered their posture, raising the right shoulder, which could lead to posture problems and pain when made a regular habit.

Lighten Up Your Backpack

Children's loaded backpacks should weigh no more than 15% of their body weight, according to the American Academy of Orthopedics. This study supported that standard. "Parents also need to check what their children are carrying. We found that quite often it�s not just books and school work that�s weighing them down� but iPods and laptop computers and other things they may not need to carry to school everyday," said Chambers in a press release.
How to Lighten Your Child's Backpack

Correct Backpack Positioning

Backpacks should be worn high on the back. If a waist strap is available, it should be used, as it transfers the weight of the pack to the hips rather than having all of the weight riding on the shoulders. Padded straps and body contouring designs can also help distribute the weight and relieve pressure points.
Photos: Wearing a Backpack Right and Wrong

_Sources:

Macias BR, Murthy G, Chambers H, Hargens AR. "Asymmetric loads and pain associated with backpack carrying by children." J Pediatr Orthop. 2008 Jul-Aug;28(5):512-7.

Macias BR, Murthy G, Chambers H, Hargens AR. "High contact pressure beneath backpack straps of children contributes to pain." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005 Dec;159(12):1186-7.