Do Schoolbags Cause Back Pain?

As children get older the prevalence of lower back pain increases with a whopping 47% of 15 year olds reporting to have lower back pain. So what is causing this? Could it be the schoolbag full of books that they carry every day?
The short answer is: maybe… A recent systematic review looked at this and found no convincing evidence that schoolbag use increased the risk of lower back pain in adolescents although there is evidence for increased risk if the child reports the bag to be heavy.
This likely means that a heavy schoolbag may be one of many contributing factors to an individual having lower back pain and is unlikely to be the sole cause.
If you are having lower back pain or have a child with lower back pain and would like more information book in to see one of our friendly and experienced physiotherapists.