Is your child carrying a heavy load at school? Not coursework, but the stuff that goes into the backpack every day?

Your child's backpack may seem harmless, but if it is overloaded, your child may experience painful back and neck problems. Does your child mention headaches, neck aches, achy strained muscles, low back pain, muscle spasm, or tingling hands? Put your child's backpack on the scale and see how much weight your child is carrying back and forth each day.

An overweight backpack causes the body to compensate for the extra weight. If your child leans forward to compensate, it reduces his or her balance making it easier to fall. The extra weight distorts the natural curve of the middle and lower back, causing muscle strain.

While there is no definite scientific information to support these guidelines, Stuart Weinstein, M.D., UI Health Care orthopaedic specialist, suggests that children carry no more than ten to 15 percent of their weight in a backpack. If your child weighs 50 pounds, he or she should carry no more than seven to eight pounds in a backpack; 80-pound children should carry 12 pounds; 100-pound children should carry 15 pounds; and 130-pound children should carry no more than 20 pounds.

Buying the right pack is an important first step for your child. The standard two-strap pack is good for light loads. For heavier loads, get one with a hip or waist belt. This takes some of the weight off the shoulders and distributes it to the hips.

There are several new breeds of backpacks out there. They feature wide padded straps, padded waist belts, a molded plastic panel inside the pack to support the spine, and even internal shelving to help properly distribute weight.

Backpack tips

Distribute the weight evenly.
Put heavier items on the bottom to help keep the weight off the shoulders.

Use both shoulder straps.
Habitually carrying a load over one shoulder strains muscles; the spine overcompensates to the opposite side and stresses back muscles.

Use a backpack with padded or air-filled straps to help prevent the straps from digging into your shoulders.

Use a waist belt to help stabilize the pack.

And, most importantly, take only what is needed to school.