CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- They're one of the biggest fashion trends of 2008: giant handbags.

They're big. They're bulky and they are heavy! We know. We weighed them at a local mall. Some bags weighed in at 6, 7, even 8 pounds. And most of the women say that's packing light.   

When fully loaded, these enormous designer bags can fit everything from your wallet and a water bottle to an umbrella and your lunch in them. 

"It's like my Mary Poppins bag," one woman joked. "I've tried carrying smaller bags and it just doesn't work for me."

And that's the trouble. Purse injuries are up 30 percent in the past year and women are definitely feeling the pressure.

"I've been to physical therapy, and I've been to the chiropractor, and I'm just guilty," one woman told NewsChannel 36. "It's almost like tomorrow I'll do better, you know?"

Karen VonCannon knows exactly how that feels. She can't even lift her bag to her shoulder anymore.  What's worse, she can't feel her fingertips -- all because she carried a bag that was too heavy for her.

"I've got the pain and the tingling. It's just a direct result of the weight," VonCannon said. "It's a lot of wear and tear on your shoulder and on your back."

Dr. John Priester, of Priester Chiropractic in Charlotte, says oftentimes women don't even know their purse is triggering their pain.

"It's the imbalance. That's the worst thing," Priester said. "You can cause all sorts of muscle aches and complaints all along the middle back extending into your neck, and headaches are very common with this."

VonCannon is currently being treated for her injury at Priester Chiropractic and says the therapy has helped minimize the pain.

And you can minimize yours.  The American Chiropractic Association says women should lighten their loads. 

A good guideline is your body weight. They say no handbag should weigh more than 10 percent of what you weigh.

Priester thinks even that's a bit heavy. He says the best thing you can do is shift your purse from one shoulder to the other to balance the weight and the toll it's taking on your body.