Are you at risk of Bag Back?
Your back and neck pain may be coming from the simplest of places – your bag!
It’s not just women who are suffering from pain as the result of lugging around a heavy back, either. With the increase of hot desking, more and more workplaces require employees to carry their laptop to and from work every day. Gentlemen, if you’re popping your laptop into a bag and carrying it on your daily commute you could be feeling the strain, too! Carrying a bag over one shoulder increases weight and pressure on that side of your body, causing a shift in posture. Other muscles then start to compensate for the uneven distribution of weight and that’s when neck and back pain can start.
People who prefer to carry their bag on their elbow are at risk of pain in the joint, bicep, shoulder and neck – the bag being carried further away from their body’s point of balance causes more muscles to strain in an attempt to correct balance and posture. Bags are a necessity, so how do we combat the pain they can cause? Ideally, the weight of any bag should be between 1.2-1.8kgs and try to choose a bag that is proportionate to your body – don’t buy oversized just because it’s in fashion. Try to switch up what shoulder you carry your bag on and if you feel any pain creeping up, don’t hesitate to book in to see a physiotherapist.
Read more
- http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/bags-and-back-pain-could-your-purse-or-handbag-be-causing-pain
- http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/have-shoulder-or-neck-pain-blame-posh-and-big-handbags/
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1363932/Is-handbag-going-arthritis–How-heavy-load-add-years.html
- http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/fashion/07ouch.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0