Heavy Backpacks Causing Back and Spinal Injuries in Children

Shannon Weidemann

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The American Physical Therapy Association has released a study showing that heavy backpacks worn by school children can cause back and spinal injuries. The study was conducted by Mary Ann Wilmarth of Northwestern University.

According to Wilmarth, injury can occur when a child, in trying to adapt to a heavy load, uses faulty postures such as arching the back, bending forward, twisting, or leaning to one side. These postural adaptations can cause improper spinal alignment, which hampers functioning of the disks that provide shock absorption. A backpack load that is too heavy also causes muscles and soft tissues to work harder, leading to strain and fatigue. This leaves the neck, shoulders, and back more vulnerable to injury.

Wilmarth recommends that backpacks should weigh no more that 10 to 15 percent of a child's body weight and that both straps should be worn to distribute the weight evenly. Used correctly a wheeled backpack can also be used to avoid a back injury.