How to Wear a Backpack

The beginning of the school year is a great time for kids to start healthy habits. We value preventive care at Morgan Chiropractic in Anchorage, and we see too many young people struggling with back pain. One of the most important ways they can prevent injuries and wear-and-tear is by using backpacks safely.


A backpack should be selected on the basis for school usage. Features such as wheels and pull-out handles are likely to only be dead weight. We don’t recommend a backpack be filled to the point of weighing more than 15% of its wearer’s weight, so smaller is usually better. Students should plan when to swap items out and not carry anything they don’t expect to use. If a child strains while lifting a backpack, it is too heavy.


The advantage of using a backpack is that the shoulder straps can evenly distribute weight across the body, but only if both are worn. Shoulder straps should be wide and padded. The best backpacks also come with a strap across the chest. The backpack should be positioned in the middle of the upper back, but the shoulder straps should not be tight enough to cause tingling in the arms or shoulders.


Dr. Loren Morgan is located at Morgan Chiropractic at 11260 Old Seward Hwy Suite 106, Anchorage, Alaska, 99515. To schedule an appointment, visit Morgan Chiropractic or call 907-646-2211,


 

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