Aching backs and shoulders? Tingling arms? Weakened muscles? Stooped posture? Does your child have these symptoms after wearing a heavy school backpack? Carrying too much weight in a pack or wearing it the wrong way can lead to pain and strain. The facts about backpacks:

• More than 79 million students in the US carry school backpacks.
• More than 2,000 backpack related injuries were treated at hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, and clinics in 2007.
• A loaded backpack should never weigh more than 15% of the student’s total body weight. (For a student weighing 100 pounds, the backpack should weigh no more than 15 pounds.)
• According to a study by Boston University, approximately 85% of university students self-report a discomfort and pain associated with backpack usage.