"A Back To School Question: Is Your Child’s Backpack Too Heavy?" - Saad B. Chaudhary, MD, MBA
We have all seen a tiny kid carrying an enormous, overstuffed backpack. It might look cute, but a child whose backpack is too heavy may suffer back, shoulder, or neck pain. Evidence suggests that people who experience frequent back pain in childhood tend to have more back pain and other musculoskeletal issues in adulthood. Saad Chaudhary, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai said, “Carrying excess weight can strain the muscles, causing pain and joint overuse. Parents can help their kids avoid such injury by making sure the filled backpack is not too heavy, and then lightening the load if it is.” If a child still complains of significant, ongoing back pain, it is important not to ignore it. Prior to adolescence, children do not typically have persistent back pain.
-Saad B. Chaudhary, MD, Assistant Professor, Orthopaedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai