A physiotherapist’s guide to back packs

Tips on choosing the right back back

Considering that 60-80% of us will experience back pain in our lifetime, choosing the correct back pack for us or our children should be a priority. The high number of children and adolescents already complaining of back pain is astounding. Studies recently in South Australia of 2500 children found half of them repeatedly complained of pain episodes. Victorian studies concluded that 1 in 3 school children suffered back or upper neck pain, caused by heavy schoolbags.

Providing a good back pack to everyone is crucial, and educating on its proper use vital.

Here's the physio's guide to choosing a good back pack.

• Make sure it is appropriately sized for you. It should neither extend past your shoulders when sitting down with it, nor be wider than your chest.
• Be comparatively lightweight. Fully packed it shouldn't weigh more than 10% of the your body weight.
• Be sturdy and reasonably water-resistant (or have a rain cover). The material should be firm to prevent sagging. The base should be abrasive-resistant and/or reinforced.
• Have a moulded frame and/or an adjustable hip or waist strap, so most of the weight rests on your hips and pelvis, not on your shoulders and spine. The waist/hip belt is particularly important to secure the load when walking, running or cycling.
• Have adjustable, broad, padded shoulder straps that help distribute the weight evenly across your shoulders and and don't dig into you.
• Have a padded or quilted back for comfortable wear.
• Have compression straps at the sides to draw the load together and bring it close to your back. They'll also help stabilise the contents of a partially filled pack.
• Have a sternum (chest) strap to help stabilise the load and prevent the straps slipping off the shoulders. It should sit about 10 cm down from the Adam's apple.
• Have several pockets to help with even weight distribution and organisation inside. A drink bottle holder on the side keeps potential spillages outside the pack.

So, now that you have the right back pack, here's how to use it properly.

• Backpacks are designed to carry a load safely — symmetrical, stable and close to the spine — but not if they're worn casually slung over just one shoulder.
• Put it on safely. Try to lift it up by the loop with both hands and bent knees, facing the straps and pushing up with the legs. Place one strap over the shoulder, then the other, or put it on the edge of a desk and loop both arms through together.
• A backpack should be worn so the waist strap (or hip belt) sits firmly where intended.
• Shoulder straps should be adjusted so that you don't have to lean forward and the base of the pack rests on their hips, not on the bum.
• Pack your back pack properly. Items shouldn't be able to move around; the heaviest ones should be packed closest to your back to reduce stress on the spine, lighter items away from the spine.
• Pack only what you need to keep the weight down.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) endorse a back pack for children. Called the PhysioPak, it meets the standards of the APA. With multi-adjustment straps at the shoulders, waist and chest, and a moulded back that rests well and at the correct angle to the spine. See http://www.spartanss.com.au for further details.

For more information please contact us