Children at Tanner Elementary School learned how to prevent pain and strain on their backs Wednesday. Healthcare therapists from Encore Rehabilitation Inc. visited fifth graders for National School Backpack Awareness Day to teach them backpack safety strategies.

Encore Rehabilitation sponsored the event called “Pack it Light, Wear it Right,” the theme of this year’s nationwide campaign by the American Physical Therapy Association.

Physical therapist Tiffany Davis, athletic trainer David McCreless and spokesman John Henderson weighed students and their backpacks to determine what percent of their weight they carry on their backs.

“Your backpack should never weigh more than 15 percent of your body weight,” said Phyllis DiLuigi, an occupational therapist at Encore.

Carrying backpacks the wrong way can cause aching backs and shoulders, weakened muscles, tingling arms and a stooped posture. How a child carries his or her backpack and how items are arranged in the backpack are the most important factors of back safety, said DiLuigi.

A backpack should be arranged with the heaviest items in the back of the pack so items will not slide around, she said.

Many children not only wear backpacks too heavy but also incorrectly.

Shoulder straps should be tightened to secure the pack closely to the child’s body.

Parents should buy packs with well-padded straps, said DiLuigi.

When students sling one strap over one shoulder, the weight can cause them to lean to one side, curving the spine and causing pain or discomfort.

When straps are too small and dig into a child’s shoulder, the pack can create too much pressure on nerves and blood vessels in the shoulders and neck, causing pain and tingling, in the shoulders, neck and arms.

The bottom of the backpack should be worn in the curve of the lower back, said DiLuigi. This prevents the child from being pulled backward and straining back muscles.

For more information on backpack safety, contact Encore Rehabilitation Inc. at 232-1221.