Back Pain In School Age Children

Many children these days are suffering from back pain which is caused by carrying back packs that are too heavy for them and not properly fitted. Over time this causes stress on their spines which will result in not only back pain but neck pain and shoulder pain. Eventually a heavy backpack can mould the spine into a position that isn't natural to the body and could lead to scoliosis.
Prevention is better than cure so it's important to educate our kids in how to wear a backpack properly. A lot of them tend to sling it over one shoulder only which they think looks cool but will lead to one side of the body taking the load. The key is to minimize what goes into the backpack and wearing it with the straps adjusted to the proper length.
If children are at the stage where they are suffering with pain then it's best to visit a chiropractor who will be able to gently coax their spine back into alignment. This will happen gradually but can only be affective if the child is minimizing the risk of wearing a backpack. For more information on the proper way to wear a backpack and also the signs of what to look out for in your childs posture to determine a problem please see the article Back Pain In School Children Caused By Heavy Backpacks.

I've included a great video featuring a chiropractor that talks about how to pack a backpack and the correct way to wear one.