'Back To School' Shouldn't Mean Back Pain for Kids

Back to school for many kids also means back to shoulder, neck and back pain caused by hauling heavy backpacks each day.

Experts agree that selecting the right backpack and teaching kids the proper way to wear it is a must for back-to-school season.

In the last 15 years as backpacks have become the style for every student from preschool to college, occupational therapists like Barbara Kornblau started seeing children as young as 10 years old complaining of neck, back, and shoulder pain.

Back problems are usually considered a "wear-and tear" disorder developed over time, not in children still growing and developing, says Kornblau, professor of occupational therapy and public health at Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"Kids didn't complain about back pains 15 years ago," she says. "Back problems are expected in the 50-plus age set, not children 10 years old."

Part of the problem is that students today could never carry the amount or weight they need to take home without the help of a backpack. Books have gotten heavier over the years as schools have switched from workbooks to more cost-efficient, and reusable, hard cover books, says Kornblau.

And books aren't the only problem. Students tend to shove as much as they can in their backpack at once. A typical child's backpack may contain anything from textbooks, notebooks, loose paper, pencils, markers and water bottles, to an extra pair of socks, a friend's scribbled phone number, and a melting candy bar, says Anne Rambo, associate professor of family therapy at NSU and author of the book, I Know My Child Can Do Better!

Move from elementary to high school, and Kornblau says you'll find in backpacks cell phones, iPods, CD players, and even laptop computers.

In one study, she found children who weighed 40 pounds carrying backpacks that weighed 20 or 22 pounds, or half of their body weight, something kids are in no shape to be doing, Kornblau says.

"Combine that with the fact that kids sit in front of a computer all day with bad posture and it adds to back problems," she says.

Kids also tend to wear backpacks improperly, which adds to the stress on their bodies, Kornblau says. Part of the problem is that the "being cool factor" interferes with what's best for the child's health.

"To be cool in some schools you have to wear your backpack on one shoulder," she says. "That's just not healthy. Every time I see that it bothers me; it hurts just to watch."

Kids who wear their backpack on one shoulder often lean to the side, which curves the spine and leads to discomfort. Kids also often wear their backpacks down too far, which causes them to lean forward and have bad posture. Also, a bag that hangs too loosely can pull the child backwards and strain muscles.