If you’ve ever planned a backpacking trip, you know it’s important to pay careful attention to what’s going on your back. Only lightweight versions of the bare essentials make the cut for the journey. Distributing the weight evenly and balancing the pack can make all the difference in how well your body handles the rigors of a long hike.

Yet each day we send our kids off to school with loads of books and supplies in backpacks so heavy that they must pitch forward just to navigate the steps into the school bus. Often they sling heavy loads over one shoulder, tipping left or right as they dash off to class before the bell rings. And with limited time between classes, some kids end up lugging their backpacks around more than we might think, using them in lieu of lockers to stash their stuff.

The result, says Karen R. Jacobson, D.C., of Jacobson Family Health in Scottsdale, may alter posture, causing rounded shoulders, misalignment of the spine, pressure on nerves and muscle fatigue and imbalance.

“The added weight shifts their center of gravity and they are going to start out with postural problems,” says Jacobson. “That, of course, affects their health.” A heavy, improperly packed backpack carried the wrong way can cause tension in a child’s shoulders, neck or jaw. “Those are not normal health challenges that a child should encounter,” says Jacobson.

Inevitably, the “cool factor” associated with how kids actually carry a backpack sets in after the novelty of carrying a backpack wears off, says John Q. Quackenbush, D.C., of Arrowhead Health in Glendale. “The boys usually only use one strap because they are trying to look cool,” he says. “The girls wear theirs really low, because everybody else is.” Often, according to Quackenbush, parents miss the harm that results, attributing aches and soreness to “growing pains.”

Janice Johnston, M.D., a family practitioner with two elementary-age children of her own, says that taking the time to teach kids the proper techniques of how to carry, pack and lift a backpack can pay off down the road. “Sometimes these backpacks are unbelievable, how much they weigh, but if you can target and try to modify, you can prevent these problems from happening by teaching them proper techniques (for wearing backpacks). That is what preventative medicine is all about.”

Arrowhead Health offers free back-to-school backpack safety screening appointments in the months of August and September. Quackenbush says that, when kids participate in a one-on-one session with a healthcare professional about why and how they should carry and pack a backpack properly, they’re more likely to listen. “We are always hoping when they come with their parents that we can bridge the gap.” Jacobson also offers free, by-appointment-only screenings at her practice during September.

Parents can help by:

• Encouraging children and teenagers to talk about pain or discomfort that may be caused by a heavy backpack. Never ignore signs of back pain in a child or teen.
• Talking to teachers and administrators at school about lightening the load. Be sure the school allows students to stop at their lockers throughout the day. Team up with other parents to encourage changes.
• Consider buying a second set of textbooks for your student to keep at home.

 The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says rolling backpacks can be good choices for students who must tote a heavy load. According to Jacobson, however, rolling backpacks can cause their own problems. The combination of a pulling and twisting can throw off the body’s center of gravity and overloads the arm and the shoulder. And rolling backpacks can be difficult – and dangerous – to carry up and down stairs.