When children are choosing a backpack, they often are looking for what is in style and what looks good. As a parent, however, you need to ensure that your child has a backpack that is designed for good back support. While your child may not be hauling around heavy books as much in today’s tech-driven world, he or she may still be overstuffing their backpack with numerous essential items, including a tablet or laptop. At Lowery Chiropractic, we want to ensure that parents in Tallahassee are aware of the type of stress that heavy backpacks can cause their children and what you can do to prevent back pain.
How To Prevent Back Pain for Children
There are many things that you can do to prevent back pain for children who use backpacks on a regular basis. We have gathered a few guidelines you and your child can follow for proper backpack use:
- Make sure the backpack doesn’t hang more than a couple of inches below your child’s waist. The lower your child’s backpack hangs the more weight that will be on his or her shoulders.
- Purchase a backpack with wide and padded shoulder straps.
- Encourage your child to use both shoulder straps as opposed to just one to prevent all of the weight from being focused on one side of the back. Using only one strap can lead to lower back pain as well as muscle spasms.
- Make sure your child never overloads his or her backpack. Ideally, your child should not carry more than roughly 15 to 20 percent of his or her body weight at any given time.
Schedule a Pediatric Chiropractic Appointment in Tallahassee, FL
If you or your child experiences discomfort or pain that is due to heavy backpack use, reach out to us at Lowery Chiropractic. We specialize in pediatric chiropractic care, which allows us to provide gentler treatment for children in Tallahassee. Call our team today at (850) 877-9150 or reach us through our website by using our online contact form.