IMHO, NO, no way! My partner tried an internal (one of the more common ones often mentioned on the board) and he said it sucked. They keep you bent over too much while walking. Get an external frame pack and tighten up the belt so your hips take most of the weight. You can then loosen the shoulder straps to "snug" to take some of the weight off them. Much easier on you.
Bear in Fairbanks
Sounds like that pack wasn't fitted to the user properly...
I'm not a fan of "Barney's"...but no reason for that kind of problem unless fit was never right from the start.
