Dr. Scott R. Seidel, neck and back pain specialist with The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group, discusses how to select the right backpack for your child. Safety and injury prevention should be top of mind when selecting a backpack as well as observing how it is used and worn. http://www.tsaog.com/our-physicians/physician/scott-seidel

1. A Parent’s Guide To:
Choosing the
Right
Backpack for
Your Child
By: Scott R. Seidel, DC

2. BACKPACK SAFETY
When you think back to school, you probably
think of new clothes, school supplies, and
sports physicals. However, there is typically
little thought given to backpack safety and
this is an important subject that should not
be ignored.
Read on for some simple tips to limit your
child’s risk for injury while still allowing them
to enjoy the backpack of their choice.

3. Potential injuries from heavy backpacks include:
• Spinal stress fracture
• Strain of the neck/back
• Pinching or damage of nerves in the neck/back
• Cartilage damage
• Scoliosis
• Poor Posture
These can become chronic over time.
What Could
Happen?

4. A child should ideally carry no
more than 5-10% of their body
weight.
Be conscious of the contents!
(Heavier items like books,
shoes, and electronics can add
up quickly.)
Source: KidsHealth
How Much is
Too Much?

5. How Heavy is the Backpack?
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:
1
2
3
4
How Long is the Backpack Worn?*
How Often is the Backpack Taken On and Off?*
How is the Backpack Worn?**
*The longer and more often the backpack is worn, the heavier the total load on the spine.
**Improper wear can lead to spinal stress and injury.

6. A backpack that is too heavy
causes the child to have to
severely arch backwards or
bend forward to prevent
falling over while carrying a
load that is too heavy for
them.
The resulting compression of
the spinal bones and discs
can lead to injury.

7. 61.4% of children were carrying a backpack that exceeded 10% of
their body weight and 20% of those children had backpacks that
exceeded 15% of their body weight!
Those carrying the heaviest backpacks had a 50% greater risk of
back pain.
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood
A Recent Study Found:

8. Choose a backpack with
wide, padded shoulder
straps and a padded back
to help reduce the
compression from the
straps and pad the back.
TIPS FOR A HEALTHY SPINE:
1

9. TIPS FOR A HEALTHY SPINE:
2 Always use BOTH straps.
Never carry on one shoulder.
This will lead to a dropped
shoulder and place a bend
into child’s back.

10. TIPS FOR A HEALTHY SPINE:
3 Adjust the straps so the
bottom of the bag rests in
the small of the back. If it is
set too low, the child has to
bend excessively to balance
their center of gravity.

11. TIPS FOR A HEALTHY SPINE:
4 If the pack is too big, kids
will fill it up, meaning that
small children can end up
with much too heavy a load.
Choose a backpack sized
reasonably based on your
child’s size.

12. “Please feel free to
contact my office
with any questions
or concerns you
may have.”
Scott R. Seidel, DC
Chiropractor with
The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group