6 Tips for Protecting Children's Backs (Expert Advice) 2026

With the return to school, every year the controversial debate reopens about the weight in children's backpacks, the appropriate postures when sitting at desks, in short, the need to maintain correct postural hygiene.

As stated by Álvaro Herrera, coordinator of the rehabilitation service at the Vithas Nuestra Señora de América Hospital, the most frequent injuries in children are usually related to the poor postures they adopt during their growth, carrying inappropriate weights or they may also be hereditary injuries. "The most common cases we find are scoliosis or spinal deviation, specifically, idiopathic scoliosis, that is, scoliosis of unknown origin; although it can appear at any age, it is usually associated with growth after 10 or 12 years."

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The risk factors that can cause or accentuate these injuries, as Herrera tells us, are incorrect postures when sitting at desks, which causes muscle imbalances. The weight load on the spine is another factor, since children's muscles are still weak and are not prepared to withstand much load. To all this we must add the practice of sports incorrectly, hence the need to incorporate stretching to avoid muscle imbalances. The Vithas Our Lady of America Hospital belongs to the Vithas health group.

Prevention guidelines

From the rehabilitation service of the Vtihas Nuestra Señora de América Hospital, they recommend following the following tips to prevent injuries and take care of children's backs.

1. The main measure is linked to good training aimed at parents and the children themselves, since it is the best way to establish healthy habits and postures in their daily activities.

2. The backpacks that are recommended are those that contain several fastenings: on the shoulders, waist and chest area, in order to distribute the load, but fundamentally backpacks with wheels or carts, which will prevent children from carrying weight.

3. Correct posture when sitting at desks is decisive. "It must be with the back completely supported on the back of the chair; to do this, the gluteal area must be pushed back as much as possible, so that we avoid the typical reclining posture that harms the lumbar spine. In addition, the hips must be at a right angle or even a little higher with respect to the knees, as well as the feet, which must also form the same right angle with respect to the knees. The elbows must be supported and will also form another right angle with respect to the table,” says Álvaro Herrera.

4. It is always advisable to study or do homework in designated places, such as study tables and chairs that are correctly adapted to the child's posture; Other places, such as the sofa, the bed, the floor, will cause discomfort, with consequent bad postural habits.

5. Practice sports that are very complete and not harmful, such as swimming and therapeutic Pilates, taught by physiotherapists. In general, any type of sport is advisable, as long as it is performed with correct preparation and stretches and exercises are included to specifically and correctly work the spine.

6. It is advisable to carry out periodic check-ups with Traumatology and establish, with the supervision of a physiotherapist, functional therapeutic exercises so that the child develops a good habit of health and body hygiene. The fundamental problem, as Herrera tells us, is that "90% of patients go to the specialist when the pain starts, which is a mistake, since that means that the injury has established itself and it will be more complex to make it disappear."