While findings vary across studies, research generally agrees that some degree of spine pain is common in school-aged children—from elementary school through middle and high school. Multiple factors can contribute to spine pain in students, and one that routinely appears in the literature is backpack use. The issue is not necessarily backpack use itself, but the stress heavy, poorly fitted, or improperly worn backpacks place on a child’s developing body.
In an experiment conducted in 2015, a female volunteer walked on a treadmill for five minutes using different types of bags: a two-strap backpack, a one-strap backpack, a shoulder bag,…
