I have vivid memories of what undoubtedly contributed to my idiopathic scoliosis: improperly carrying my non-ergonomic backpack in grade and high school. I see lots of kids today may have that problem licked with the wheeled backpacks and luggage carts that seem so popular, but those too can create some problematic gait patterns.

It’s no wonder then that I was so happy to see Yahoo Shopping take on the task of giving guidelines for a proper backpack. According to their resource, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the majority of the 7,600 hospital-treated injuries (mostly for 9 to 16 year olds) in 2004 have ill-fitting backpacks to blame.

When shopping for a backpack remember that fully loaded it should ideally hold only 10% of a child’s weight, it should be worn about 2 inches above the waist and with both shoulder straps, close to the body. Also keep in mind that school aged children are not too young to receive massage therapy to treat these “occupational” injuries.

A good pack should have the following features:

• Shoulder straps that are contoured and padded to soften the load.

• A waist belt to stabilize the pack and transfer weight to the hips.

• A padded or quilted back or one with mesh fabric to make the bag less sweaty on steamy days.

• Compression straps on the sides to tighten a partially filled backpack.

• Look for multiple pockets: small ones for a calculator, a cell phone, and keys, and a concealed inside pocket for cash.

• Dual zippers for main compartment.

• Waterproof, colorfast material


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