(BPT) - Your child's backpack shouldn't feel like a punishment. Yet for countless students across America, that daily trudge to school has become a literal pain in the back — and neck, and shoulders. What starts as minor discomfort can quickly escalate into serious musculoskeletal problems that interfere with learning, sports, and daily activities.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is stepping in with guidance to help parents and caregivers transform their child's backpack from a source of pain into a tool that supports healthy posture and bone and joint development.

"Families everywhere take backpacks for granted as everyday gear needed for school, but they don't often understand the burden they can place on the body and posture when they're used incorrectly," said pediatric

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