It’s August already which means back to school for the kids! Here is a checklist to go through to make your children are protecting their spines as they head to class!
- Purchase a light-weight backpack that has wide, padded, shoulder straps.
- Wear both shoulder straps one over each shoulder.
- Make sure the shoulder straps are tightened comfortably so that the backpack does not go below your lower back–this causes strain on the lower back. The child should never have to bend forward or be tipping backwards when wearing the backpack. If so, something is wrong.
- If there is a chest, or waist clip buckle it to help keep the weight distributed evenly across the body.
- Organize the items so that the largest and heaviest ones are placed closest to the child’s back. Smaller items can be placed in separate compartments.
- The backpack should never weigh more than 10-15% of the child’s body weight.
- Encourage your child to use lockers or desks to store what they don’t need during the day. It will save them from lugging a heavy backpack all day long.
- If your child complains of back, neck or shoulder pain have them checked by a chiropractor.
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