Excess Baggage: Heavy Handbags Can Pose Serious Health Risks

Main Category: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 26 Apr 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (http://www.yes2chiropractic.org ), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of the benefits of chiropractic, cautions women that carrying handbags that are too heavy poses significant health risks and recommends that you lighten your carrying load.

Increasingly, women are toting around more gadgets such as iPods, cell phones, and digital cameras which has created a demand for larger handbags and totes. So, it comes as no surprise that more and more women are turning to their chiropractors for neck and back pain treatment.

"I have had patients complain about shoulder pain and lower back pain," says Gerard W. Clum, D.C., president of Life Chiropractic College in West Hayward, Calif., and spokesperson for the Foundation. "When I ask the patients to show me the size and the weight of their handbags, it can be in excess of 10 to 15 lbs., which can cause serious risk to your overall health."

If it is necessary to carry all of your gadgets in a large handbag, Dr. Clum suggests that it is important to reduce the weight of the handbag to no more than 1 to 2 lbs. Dr. Clum suggests that it is important not to carry the entire weight of the bag on one shoulder. This can lead to improper weight distribution in the neck, shoulder and back. Postural imbalances can have consequences to the spinal discs, body structures and overall nervous system function.

He recommends using a bag with two shoulder straps or pulling a carrying case with wheels if you must take heavier items with you but it is important to know that when it comes to health, less is always better.

"Heavy, cumbersome bags may leave you with back, neck, and shoulder pain, even headaches and can aggravate or accelerate arthritic conditions," says Clum. "It's important to find ways to stay healthy while staying in fashion."

About the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress is a 501c6 corporation that represents a cross section of the chiropractic and vendor communities with the goal of increasing the public's awareness of the benefits of chiropractic. http://www.yes2chiropractic.org

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Foundation for Chiropractic Progress