Backpacks are meant to make our lives easier by allowing us to carry a bunch of things at once while freeing up our hands. The population that uses backpacks the most is going to be school aged children and young adults. If you were to ask your Rochester chiropractor, they would tell you that people in this age group are still growing. Having poor backpack etiquette can cause extra unnecessary aches and pains!
One of the common mistakes when using a backpack is overloading it with too many things and causing it to be way too heavy. Overloading a backpack can lead to poor posture while also overloading the spine. A simple rule of thumb would be to keep the backpack around 10% of the backpack user’s weight.
Another simple backpack property to check is where the backpack sits on your back. If the backpack sits down on the lower back or butt, then the weight of the backpack will shift your center of gravity and place an increased strain on your lower back. Make sure to tighten your straps to bring the backpack up to your mid back. If there are any buckles on your straps that buckle in the front, use them! They will help secure the bag closer to your body and keep your center of gravity.
Speaking of straps, make sure that they have sufficient padding. The straps should be padded up through where they sit on your shoulders and the padding should continue down the back of the backpack. Properly padded straps would cushion the weight of the backpack on your shoulders. This will only work if you wear both straps though! If you think you look cool by wearing one strap, you don’t!
Follow these simple tips when fitting your backpack or your little one’s backpacks and you’ll avoid a lot of unnecessary back and shoulder pain! If you need extra help fitting your backpack or if you are experiencing back or shoulder pain from using yours, give your chiropractor in Rochester, NY a call to get taken care of!
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