Ladies, Is Your Large Purse the Cause of Your Back Pain?
If you carry a large purse, you can get back pain, neck pain, or shoulder pain. The fact is, many women carry far too much in their purses these days – laptops, iPads, phones, wallets, makeup, books, water bottles, snacks, and the list goes on!
This additional weight on your spine is hurting your back!
Large purses are very much in fashion today but the truth is, the larger the bag, the heavier the load.
The combination of the weight of the bag against your muscles, tendons, nerves, and ligaments, plus the compensating shift in your posture you make to carry this heavy load, can lead to lower back pain, poor posture, muscle spasms, sciatica, tendinitis of the elbow, shoulder pain, neck pain, pain in your buttocks, headaches, and general body aches.
Over time, you could experience more severe nerve trauma or even degenerative joint disease, all due to injuries caused by carrying a purse that is too heavy.
You can carry a large purse safely but you must be conscious of how you carry it. Change sides when you carry your purse. This gives each side a chance to rest. Or, you can wear your bag across your body. This allows the core muscles to carry more of the load.
Maintain good posture and wear sensible footwear. High heels and a heavy purse is a recipe for injury! Heels tilt your pelvis forward and predispose you to back pain. Throw in a heavy purse, and you increase the risk for chronic pain and injury.
Here are two easy options:
If you must carry that fabulous large purse, is to lighten the load! You don’t need to carry everything with you ‘in case you need it.’ Empty your your large purse and put back only the necessities.
Place a smaller wallet or clutch inside your large purse that includes the necessities such as money, ID, cell phone, etc. and when running in and out of places only bring the small clutch and leave the heavy bag locked in your trunk.
Reduce your load and your back will thank you!
