Other than pawing through it to grab your science homework, lunch money, or favorite CD, you may not give much thought to your backpack. It gets used, it gets abused, and it gets shoved in the bottom of your locker or the corner of your room.

But giving a little thought to your pack now may save you some pain later - check out this article to brush up on your backpack know-how.

Backpack Basics

Backpacks are a handy way to get all the necessities in your life from here to there. If you had to balance all those books, papers, notebooks, binders, school supplies, and personal items in your arms, you'd probably never make it to class on time because you'd lose most everything along the way.

For helping you stay organized, backpacks can't be beat. Multiple compartments keep all your supplies and notes close at hand. And for some teens, backpacks are a fashion accessory.

Backpacks also have health benefits. Compared to shoulder bags or purses, backpacks are better because the strongest muscles in the body, the back and the abdominal muscles, support the weight of the pack. Because the weight is evenly distributed across your body, you save yourself injuries you might get in your shoulders or neck if you carried a briefcase or purse.

What Problems Can Backpacks Cause?

Your spine is made of 33 bones called vertebrae, and between the vertebrae are disks that act as natural shock absorbers. When you incorrectly place a heavy weight on your shoulders, such as a backpack filled with books, the weight's force may pull you backward. To compensate, you may bend forward at the hips or arch your back, and this can cause your spine to compress unnaturally.

Backpacks that are used improperly may lead to injuries in teens and kids. Recent research has shown that some teens may have to miss school, go to doctor appointments, and say no to some physical activities because of back pain.

Overloading your pack can make for some heavy health problems. The extra weight causes you to compensate by leaning forward, which over time can cause your shoulders to become rounded and your upper back to become curved. Because of the heavy weight, there's a good chance you will develop shoulder, neck, and back pain. Doctors and physical therapists recommend that you carry no more than 10% to 15% of your body weight in your pack.

"Pain is a signal that something is wrong . . . I think a 10% body weight limit is safest," says Dr. Shelley Goodgold, an associate professor of physical therapy at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts and a backpack researcher.

If you wear your backpack on one shoulder, you may end up leaning to one side to offset the extra weight. You might develop lower and upper back pain and strained shoulders and neck. And some studies suggest a link between improper backpack use and scoliosis (curvature of the spine).

Is your backpack getting on your nerves? It might be - narrow straps that dig into your shoulders can interfere with circulation and the nervous system, and you might develop tingling and weakness in your arms and hands.

Girls and younger kids may be especially at risk for backpack-related injuries because they are smaller and may carry loads that are heavier in proportion to their body weight.

If you have to struggle to get your backpack on or off, you have to lean forward to carry your pack, or you have back pain, then the way you are using your backpack (either its overall weight or the method you use to carry it) needs to be adjusted. If you continue to have back pain, or have numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, talk to your doctor.

Tips for Using Backpacks

How can you make life a little easier on your back? Here are a few tips:

*Consider the construction. Before you grab that new bag off the rack, make sure it's got two padded straps that go over your shoulders. The wider the straps, the better. Bags that you sling over your shoulder or across your chest or that only have one strap aren't as effective at distributing the weight as a bag with two wide shoulder straps. A backpack with a metal frame (like hikers use) may give you more support, too, although many lockers aren't big enough to house this kind of pack. Multiple compartments within the backpack can help distribute the weight more evenly.

*Try a pack with wheels. They're the latest thing, but there are guidelines and considerations to keep in mind with this kind of pack, too. Many schools and school districts don't allow rolling backpacks due to people tripping over them in the halls. Be sure you find out if you can have one and find out the right way to pack it and carry it to be safe.

*Start a trend - use the waist belt. When purchasing a backpack, look for a model with a waist belt. Waist belts help to distribute the weight much more evenly across the body.

*Use your locker. Don't load up on the textbooks for your day's classes in the morning and forego stopping at your locker all day. Make frequent trips to drop off heavy textbooks or extra stuff, like gym clothes or project materials. And cut back on nonessentials, too - leave the laptops, beauty supplies, and CDs in your locker or at home.

*Plan your homework. Don't procrastinate; spread your homework out over the course of the week so you won't have to tote all your books home on the weekend.

*Limit your backpack load. Your backpack should weigh no more than 10% to 15% of your body weight - for example, if you weigh 120 pounds, your backpack should weigh no more than 12 to 18 pounds. Use your bathroom scale to weigh your backpack and get an idea of what around 15 pounds feels like.

*Pick it up properly. As with any heavy weight, you should bend at the knees when lifting a backpack to your shoulders.

*Strengthen your core. A great way to prevent back injury is to strengthen the stabilizing muscles of your torso, including your lower back and abdominal muscles. Weight training and yoga are two activities that can be effective in strengthening these core muscles.

So what's the best way to carry a backpack? You should wear both straps over your shoulders and the load should be light enough so that you can easily walk or stand upright, with no hunching forward or leaning to the side.

Reviewed by: Richard Kruse, MD
Date reviewed: July 2001