How Can You Tell if Your Backpack Is Too Heavy?
If you carry a backpack for school, work, or hiking, it can cause health problems if it is too heavy. But what is the best backpack weight for students and adults? And what should you do if you have aches and pains from a heavy backpack? At Breen Chiropractic Clinic, our chiropractor Dr. Robert Breen specializes in helping his patients avoid general aches and pains, prevent injury, relieve stress and strain, and improve their overall health and wellness through chiropractic care in Manassas, VA. He can treat and prevent neck pain, shoulder pain, and back pain associated with heavy backpacks, purses, and bags.
What Is a Safe Weight for a Backpack?
In general, your backpack should not weigh more than 10% of your body weight when it is full. This means that younger students should not be carrying heavy backpacks around all day at school. Older students and adults should aim for a backpack that is no heavier than 10-15% of their body weight for daily use, or 20% of their body weight if they are hiking or backpacking.
Signs a Backpack Is Too Heavy
You can tell if your backpack is too heavy if:
- You have trouble picking it up, putting it on your back, or taking it off.
- The straps, buckles, or material on the backpack is straining, ripping, or coming undone from weight and stress.
- You have developed chronic or acute aches and pains from backpack use.
- You have developed sciatica or nerve pain.
- You have backpack strap marks on your shoulders.
- Your backpack has negatively affected your posture.
- You find it hard to sit up, stand, or straighten up after taking your backpack off at the end of the day.
What Should You Do if You Have Aches and Pains From a Heavy Backpack?
If you have aches and pains or an injury from a heavy backpack, Dr. Breen and his team can help. We specialize in safe, effective, drug-free pain relief through chiropractic care. Dr. Breen will do an examination, run diagnostic testing, discuss your health history and lifestyle, and determine the root cause of your pain and dysfunction. He can then design a personalized chiropractic treatment plan to address back pain, neck pain, or shoulder pain from a heavy backpack.
Prevent Backpack Injuries in Manassas, VA
Don’t risk your health by wearing a heavy backpack every day. Visit us at Breen Chiropractic Clinic to assess your posture, treat aches and pains, and get tips for a healthy lifestyle and appropriate backpack weight. Request an appointment today.
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Back Pain
