Tips for safety when carrying school backpacks and avoiding injuries

MONROE — When it comes to finding the right backpack, there's more to consider than just the right color or style. You should also consider some important factors like fit and functionality.

Therapists at PT Link Physical Therapy, 1038 N. Monroe St., see many patients with back problems. The clinic specializes in neck and back pain, but staff sees patients for a variety of reasons, including sports injuries such as ankle and muscle sprains and age-related conditions such as arthritis.

Before school started, physical therapist Michael Coulter and Kayla Plaunt, a doctor of physical therapy with 35 years of combined experience, answered questions about backpack safety.

What features should you look for when choosing a backpack?

Our best advice is to take care of yourself on a daily basis. Pay attention to how you sit at your desk, how you stand when waiting for the bus, and what type of backpack you use. Make sure the straps are nice and wide and distribute the weight of the backpack evenly across your back and shoulders. Long straps cause your body to distribute the load too low on your back, leading to back pain.

How heavy should a backpack be to be carried safely?

Ideally, the backpack should be 10 to 20% of your body weight, which isn't really that much. That would mean that if you weigh 80 pounds, your school bag should weigh 8 to 16 pounds. When packing or filling your backpack, place the heaviest items closest to your back and the lightest farther away. You may need to bring a separate lunchbox or water bottle to help distribute the weight and ensure that you can take all of your homework home each night and back to school the next day.