Starfish Therapies

A pediatric therapy company operating in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. We provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy services in the most beneficial and convenient setting for you and your child, including our clinic, currently located in Burlingame, your home, school or daycare.

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Backpack Fitting

August 3, 2021 by Stacy Menz

It’s getting to that time of year again – back to school! And this year is like starting anew in so many more ways than usual. Many students have been out of the routine of attending school and the physical demands that come with it for a whole school year! Even those who returned to campus in some capacity had reduced loads and overall time demands as compared to the typical school year. This means that having the appropriately fit backpack to maintain posture and safety and reduce risks of back pain or injury is of even higher importance! Check out our tips and reminders for making sure that you’re student starts the year off right:

How to Measure your Child for a Backpack: 

  • The top of the backpack should be two inches below the top of their shoulder blades
  • The bottom of the backpack should be at waist level or slightly above waist level
  • Pick a backpack that has padding on the shoulder straps for extra comfort
  • If your child’s backpack has a hip belt, wearing it can help reduce the load from their neck and shoulders

Backpack Safety Tips:  

  • Ideally your child’s backpack does not weigh more than 10%-15% of their body weight
  • Encourage your child to wear the shoulder straps on each shoulder to help balance out the load
  • Try to distribute the weight in your child’s backpack evenly by loading the heaviest items closest to your child’s back

For more information check out our informational handout and this previous post!

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: backpack safety, education, gross motor development, kids, moms, Motor Smart Kids, occupational therapy, physical therapy, Starfish Therapies

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What Clients Are Saying

“Our experience with Stacy and the team at Starfish Therapies has been fantastic. The group is incredibly passionate, very professional, and know how to make therapy fun for a child! Our daughter looks forward to her session — whether it’s in-person or via the convenient tele-health option. The intake process is comprehensive and involves collaborative goal-setting with quantifiable measures and milestones. In addition, we get a list of activities we can work on at home, which has become part of our daily routine! We’ve seen big gains in our daughter’s movements, balance and confidence. Thank you, Starfish Therapies!”

Recent Blog Posts

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  • Should I Be Concerned?
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Locations

  BURLINGAME / MAIN CLINIC
  1541 Old Bayshore Highway
  Burlingame, CA 94010


  SAN FRANCISCO
  (located in KidSpace)
  3401 Mission St.
  San Francisco, CA 94110


  PALO ALTO
  (located in Agile Physical Therapy)
  3825 El Camino Real
  Palo Alto, CA 94306


HALF MOON BAY
  (located at Sensitive Solutions)
  30 Avenue Portola, Suite 200 C & D
  Half Moon Bay, CA 94018

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