We have all seen students heading off to the bus stop or walking to school with huge, cumbersome backpacks. It's no longer just textbooks students are carrying. They may have laptops, water bottles, sunscreen, their lunch and of course a cell phone.

Chiropractors are growing increasingly concerned about the heavy weight many children are carrying. They are seeing more young patients with back trouble and they attribute it directly to the strain of heavy backpacks.

Dr. Melanie Locke with the Ontario Chiropractic Association says: "We have been seeing more teens complaining of back strain and neck problems and parents really need to ensure that their children are wearing their backpack properly."

Magen Hawa is a Grade 11 student and she says with everything required for high school her backpack can get quite heavy to lug around.

"Once when my backpack was really overloaded I put it on a scale and it weighed 25 pounds! So it really can start to hurt your back after awhile," Hawa said. 

The Association has launched the "Pack it Light. Wear it Right." campaign to spread the word that improper use of a backpack can lead to long term health problems.

Improper backpack use can: 

  • Injure the neck, shoulder and back
  • Cause numbness in the arms and reduces blood flow
  • Create poor posture
  • Rounding of the shoulders
  • Lead to headaches and neck pain

Key points:

  • Carrying a heavy load that is unevenly or improperly distributed can result in poor posture and even distort the spinal column, throwing it out of alignment. This can cause muscle strain, headaches, back, neck and arm pain and even nerve damage.
  • Go for vinyl or canvas backpacks. Pick a pack that has two wide, adjustable, padded shoulder straps along with a hip or waist strap, padded back and plenty of pockets.
  • Make sure the pack fits properly and that size is proportionate to the wearer's body.
  • The total weight of the filled pack should be no more than 10 to 15 per cent of the wearer's own body weight.
  • Pack heaviest objects close to the body and place bumpy or odd shaped ones on the outside, away from the pack.
  • Get a backpack that has many compartments to balance the load.
  • Fill your pack at the table level or get someone to help put it on you.
  • Wear both your shoulder straps and your waist belt.

Fore more information on the backpack campaign, click here