Check your child's backpack today

Before we think it’s odd that today is National School Backpack Awareness Day, let’s think about how much sense it actually makes.

School started a little over a week ago, so now your children have filled their new backpacks with all the paraphernalia necessary to get a good education. Right? Sure. But have they overfilled it?

Today you’re going to take a minute to check your kids’ backpacks because an improperly packed pack can cause chronic back, shoulder and neck pain. As a matter of fact, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission cited 5,415 backpack-related injuries that needed emergency room treatment in 2013 alone.

Bear in mind that there can be other factors that can lead to back-related pain such as increased participation in sports and exercise, slouching while sitting particularly when doing so for long periods of time.

However, lugging around a whole locker’s worth of books plus supplies, plus those extra athletic shoes will most likely be the cause of long-term discomfort.

For the rest of the column, see the print edition of the Bonner County Daily Bee or subscribe to our e-edition.