Shoulder satchels may be the latest fashion trend on campus, but using them might carry risks for your health.

Jim Nespor, a physical therapist and athletic trainer at Iowa State, said people with heavy backpacks have always had problems, but he’s seeing more people with back problems now that shoulder satchels are becoming increasingly popular.

“They’re definitely not a good thing for people orthopedically,” Nespor said.

The American Pediatrics Association recommends that younger children have a backpack that weighs less than 10 percent of their body weight, but figures from Backpack Safety America, an educational organization, put the percentage for older students at 15 percent, Nespor said.

The problems with shoulder satchels are worse than those caused by overloaded, two-strap backpacks, Nespor said. When the load is on one side of the body, he said the tendons and ligaments on that side are taking more stress.

Nespor said that many things distinguish back problems from the general aches and pains of college life.

“People would most likely feel pain around the shoulder strap area, along the shoulder blade in the back area, or radiated pain up into the neck,” Nespor said of back problems. “In extreme cases, people may even start to develop headaches from referred pain.”

Some ISU students had a generally easygoing attitude toward shoulder satchels.

Most of those wearing shoulder satchels said that they are aware of the problems but are trying to manage them.

Kim Nantz, sophomore in early childhood education, said she wears a shoulder satchel because of its trendiness.

“I like it,” she said. “I switch shoulders every so often … and even though it might start hurting my shoulder, but oh well.”

Kory Mertz, senior in political science, wears a conventional two-strap backpack.

“It’s just what I’ve always had,” he said.

“I wouldn’t buy shoulder satchels, and I think they look stupid, too.”

Ian Mostrom, freshman in aerospace engineering, said using shoulder satchels as conventional backpacks can cause problems.

“I wear a shoulder satchel,” he said.

“But I never carry more than one book in it.”

Nespor said the most obvious solution for those who wear shoulder satchels is to keep the weight of their satchels down.

For students whose busy schedules prevent them from traveling light, Nespor had other suggestions.

“If problems occur, go back to the standard two-strap backpack and incorporate some back strengthening and stretching practices into your daily exercise program,” he said.