A new trend is emerging that is causing many women more pain than what they may initially notice. It’s those stylish, oversized handbags that women tend to fill with their wallet, cellphone, water bottle, make up, laptop and even shoes!
Yes it’s great to be part of the latest trend but all this additional weight is causing women pain starting in the neck and in some cases travels down the arm.
The additional weight of the bag and contents can generally cause problems in two ways:
- When you sling your bag over your shoulder, muscles in the back which stabilise the shoulder blade struggle to balance the weight therefore they eventually become tired and worn to the point you feel a sharp pain simply reaching for the phone or giving someone a hug.
- It causes a strain on nerves and as a result you feel sharp pains from the neck down to the arms.
The trunk of the body is forced to tilt sideways to compensate when you carry an extra 5 kg on a single side of your body. It is very important when it comes to selecting a style and weight of a handbag.
At Perth Chiropractic we want nothing but the best health for you so below are some tips we recommend to staying injury free:
- Straps: Utilize a strap that travels diagonally across your body if available. This will help evenly distribute the weight of the bag and will stop you from hiking your shoulder as it won’t feel like it is about to slip off. It is also important to remember to rotate the bag from shoulder to shoulder.
Posture: This is the most important aspect. Ideally the best posture should be a straight back, relaxed shoulders and not to lean to either side.
- Reduce the weight: We know it’s hard but try to limit how much you pack into your bag to reduce the weight. Also try to rotate which bags you use to vary the weight.
- Strength: it is essential to strengthen the correct muscles. Many women are unaware of their muscle imbalance and because of this they don’t take the correct action which leads to handbag injuries. Perth Chiropractic can assess your muscles and advise of the correct exercise to perform to correct this.
- Listen to your body: If your body aches or you’re suffering stiffness in your neck it is time to leave the big heavy handbag at home and come and visit our office today.
Perth Chiropractic recommends that your handbag weighs no more than 10% of your body weight. Therefore if your bag weighs over 2.5kg when it is empty you’re not on the right track. The excessive load causes your neck and head to extend forward instead of remain giver your shoulders leading to pain in the back, headaches and tension in the neck.
When purchasing a new handbag some things to look for are the following:
- Handbags with short straps should be tucked under your arm, over the forearm or shoulder or even carries in your hand.
- Avoid bags with long straps. They tend to slide down your shoulder cause your shoulders to hunch over.
It may look fantastic but any oversized bag can cause damage to your health because the larger it is the more prone you are to place lots of things in it causing it to get quite heavy. If possible place the things you mostly commonly access in your bag in a way you don’t have to twist your trunk when you take them out.
For all injuries and other related health issues, call Perth Chiropractic today on 08 9421 1733 so we can help lead you to a healthier life!
