Wednesday marks the 10th annual National Backpack Awareness Day - created to educate parents on the impact heavy backpacks can have on kids.
Occupational therapist Rivka Molinsky says 22,000 backpack-related injuries are reported in the United States each year.
She says students should choose a pack that has well-padded shoulder straps and evenly distributes the weight between the straps.
Molinsky says a child's backpack should be no more than 10 percent of their body weight.