A heavy overstuffed school backpack can lead to problems for your child’s health, causing muscle and joint pain, and leading to a long-term curvature of the spine.  

Many orthopedists say that backpack pain can sideline a student from sports and other activities.

Backpacks are designed to distribute the weight of the load among some of the body's strongest muscles – when worn properly.

One problem is that most kids fling the backpack over a shoulder creating an imbalance.

Children who are going through growth spurts are at higher risk because the developing spine is more susceptible to back pain. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a loaded backpack should weigh no more than 10 to 15 percent of a child's total weight.

Check with your child’s teachers to find out if heavy textbooks need to be shuffled between home and school daily. To prevent injury, choose a backpack with padded shoulder straps to soften the load.

Encourage your child to use both straps for proper weight distribution, adjust the straps so the backpack fits close to the body.

Clean out the backpack periodically, taking out extra items that aren’t necessary, and organize contents by packing heaviest items closest to the center of the back.