Can backpacks cause pinched nerves?

Overloaded backpacks may strain muscles and joints, cause neck pain, and can lead to headaches. Heavy backpacks can also pinch or strain nerves at points of contact.



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A backpack can easily weigh upwards of 20 pounds, which places constant load and compression along the spine. This can potentially lead to the cervical vertebrae impinging on the nerves that run from the neck, across the shoulders, and down the front of the arms.

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This type of paralysis can occur when a backpack overloads our shoulder girdle, causing the shoulder blades to sag down dragging the collarbones with them. The collarbones will then compress the delicate long thoracic nerve against our rib cage and it is this nerve compression which causes the paralysis.

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They might develop lower and upper back pain and strain their shoulders and neck. Improper backpack use can also lead to bad posture. Also, backpacks with tight, narrow straps that dig into the shoulders can cause tingling, numbness, and weakness in the arms and hands.

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Pain caused from excessive loads has gained the term “backpack syndrome.” Backpack syndrome causes headaches, neck and back pain, and fatigue. There have been studies examining the effects of carrying backpacks on one shoulder versus both shoulders. Carrying a bag on one shoulder causes significant asymmetries.

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The condition was first described in 1969 in Vietnam soldiers. 8 The brachial plexus is injured by the weight of the backpack due to direct compression or stretch of the nerve tissue leading to demyelination, with or without axonal injury.

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Backpack palsy is a rare but well-established cause of brachial plexus injury, arising as a result of heavy backpack use. We present an unusual case of backpack palsy with Horner's syndrome. Keywords: Plastic and reconstructive surgery, Accidents, injuries, Neurological injury, Peripheral nerve disease, Trauma CNS /PNS.

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Repetitive movements like bending or lifting, as well as carrying unbalanced loads like a heavy backpack or shoulder bag, can also increase your risk for developing a herniated disc.

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By putting a heavy weight on your shoulders in the wrong way, the weight's force can pull you backward. So people who carry heavy backpacks sometimes lean forward. Because of the heavy weight and this unnatural position, they can develop shoulder, neck, and back pain.

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Carrying a purse or messenger-style backpack over one shoulder might sound like a source of neck pain, but the reality is that this can also contribute to sciatica pain. Carrying excess weight on one side of your back puts undue stress on your muscles, which can cause inflammation and irritation on your sciatic nerve.

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In addition to the negative effects on posture, carrying around heavy backpacks for a long period of time could also cause a certain degree of scoliosis, kyphosis or other spinal malformations, even though it is not permanent.

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Back pain from carrying backpacks can be avoided with the following solutions:
  1. • Check your posture. Carrying a backpack, especially a heavy one can change your spinal alignment. ...
  2. • Lessen the load. ...
  3. • Wear your backpack properly. ...
  4. • Consider backpacks with padded shoulder straps. ...
  5. • See a specialist.


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Backpacks are a great option to carry supplies, but incorrect fitting, overpacking, and prolonged carrying time increases the risk of neck, shoulder, and back pain.

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Back pain from carrying backpacks can be avoided with the following solutions:
  1. • Check your posture. Carrying a backpack, especially a heavy one can change your spinal alignment. ...
  2. • Lessen the load. ...
  3. • Wear your backpack properly. ...
  4. • Consider backpacks with padded shoulder straps. ...
  5. • See a specialist.


MORE DETAILS