Wearing a backpack for multiple hours a day can lead to shoulder and back pain. Choosing the right backpack, purse, or shoulder bag can help to limit the back pain you experience in adulthood and old age. Not all backpacks are created equal, but many of them can be adjusted or worn differently to help keep your spine in the proper position.
1- Buy The Right Size Backpack
Choosing a backpack that is the right size for your body will help limit back pain. Your backpack or your child’s backpack should never go 4 inches below your waistline. A true-to-size backpack will also evenly distribute the weight of items evenly depending on your height and weight.
2- Don’t Overload Your Bag
Many people like to stuff multiple books into their backpacks and carry water bottles, pencil pouches, lunch boxes, and more. Overloading the bag will weigh it down and make the weight sit lower on your back. This can lead to neck pain and back pain.
It is recommended that the contents of the backpack and the backpack itself be no more than 10% of the student’s body weight. Lighten the load by switching to digital versions of textbooks and having them all on one lightweight tablet. Avoid carrying a water bottle in one of the outside pockets and instead, carry it in your hands, or fill it up when you get to your location. Utilize lockers, cars, or another storage facility on campus to alleviate carrying all your items to each class.
3- Pay Attention To How You Pick Up Your Bag
Many backpack wearers may not think much about how they lift their backpacks or how bending down to pick them up can impact their spine. Bending and lifting your back can cause inflammation or bulging discs in the future. You want to pick your backpack straight up and lift it with your legs.
4- Don’t Wear It With Just One Strap
By wearing a heavy backpack with just one strap, you disrupt the weight distribution and alter your posture. Choosing a backpack that looks good off the shoulder may make you feel cool, but down the road, you could be cursing yourself for your neck or back pain. Wearing a heavy load on just one shoulder can be painful, especially if your backpack straps are not wide enough or don’t have proper padding. Limit divots in your shoulders, neck pain, and lower back pain by wearing your backpack the way it was meant to be worn.
5- Consider A Backpack With Wheels
If you have to carry a heavy load, or you can’t find a well-fitting backpack for your child, consider choosing a backpack with wheels. Not only will this take the weight off your back and shoulders, but it may allow you to carry more. Wheel backpacks have come a long way, and you may be able to double them as a carry-on when traveling.
6- Wear It High And Tight Against Your Back
Choosing a backpack that fits is only half the battle. Once you have found one with two-inch straps, a possible chest clip, and one that fits the size of your body, you need to wear it in the proper place. Backpacks should be worn high on your back (remember the bottom should hit no lower than your waistline) and should sit snuggly against your spine. Wearing your bag low and loose will lead to back pain, bad posture, and other health problems.
Limit Back Pain With Health And Wellness Clinic
For adults, teens, or children that are experiencing back pain, Health And Wellness Clinic can provide relief. No matter the cause of your back pain, we have chiropractors who can help realign your spine and reduce inflammation.
Chiropractic treatment can be helpful in other areas of your life as well. Chiropractic can help improve posture, limit migraines, reduce the risk of surgery, and more. Our team at Health And Wellness Clinic wants to help you live your life pain-free. Gaining more motion, limiting pain, and giving you better posture will boost your physical health. Choosing a backpack that helps prevent back pain can be a good place to start, but other genetic dispositions may make back pain inevitable.
Visit our office or fill out our contact form to learn if chiropractic with our office is right for you. We will answer any questions you have in a timely manner.