When Backpacks Attack

Backpacks, as awesome as they can be, can also cause a lot of back pain if used in weird or crazy ways – main thing being putting way too much stuff into one and having it hang halfway down your back.

The lovely people over at Carrington College’s Massage Therapy Classes pulled together a real neat-looking infographic that shares a lot of facts about backpacks and back pain. Below are a few points we pulled out, but you can check the entire infographic below:

– 79 million US students carry backpacks.
– 30-50% of adolescents have back pain because of their backpacks.
– Your backpack should be no heavier than 10-15% of your body weight.
– Wear your backpack close to the center of your back. This reduces muscle strain.
– Choose a backpack that has a padded back – it decreases stress on the back, shoulders,  and underarms, as well as  enhances comfort.

If you want to check the infographic at a higher res, click here.