Back pain & back packs

A recent study published in the Australian Spine journal explored the connection between backpacks and back pain in schoolchildren. Statistics from the study include:

• The average backpack weight is more, proportionally, than the legal load-bearing limit for working adults
• 79.1 per cent of children say their backpacks feel heavy
• 65.7 per cent report feeling fatigued by the weight of their backpack
• 46.1 per cent report back pain caused by their backpack