Have you ever wondered how your clothing and accessory choices affect your body’s pain levels? Educate yourself on your favorite purse or the bag you carry every day — many trendy handbags and purses end up causing a lot of pain. 

Here are some of the worst styles of bags for your neck and back, and some less painful (but still fashionable) alternatives.

Bags That Cause Pain

Clutches

Although they’re small and lightweight, clutches and hand-held mini purses can cause undue tension in the muscles of your hands, wrists, and shoulders, causing pain and throwing off your natural gait when you walk.

Chain Straps

Thin chain straps that you see on many designer bags should be avoided, especially if they’re carrying a larger purse. These straps dig into your shoulders and can become very painful, especially during warmer months when you aren’t wearing as many layers between your purse and skin.

Top-Handle Bags

Top-handle bags, when worn without crossbody straps, can be a terrible choice. You’ll either carry these bags in the crook of your arm or grasped tightly in your hand like a clutch — both of which are options that will increase tension in your hand, wrist, shoulder, and neck muscles. If you don’t switch arms often, holding a top-handle bag may lead to asymmetries in your musculature or cause wrist and elbow issues.

Oversized Totes

When you think of bags, remember: smaller is better. Oversized totes that carry a lot of weight may cause your upper shoulder muscles to hold themselves in a shrug as you adapt to heavier loads. In addition to neck and shoulder pain, carrying an oversized tote can cause your weight distribution to come off balance and place pressure on your joints, causing inflammation.

Bags That Are Kind to Backs

Fanny Packs

A good purse should be small and held close to the body, such as a fanny pack (or “belt bag”). These bags ensure that one side of the body doesn’t hold all the weight and allow you to move freely without holding onto something.

Crossbody Bags

As long as you switch shoulders from time to time, crossbody bags are a great option. These bags distribute weight more symmetrically across the body and are more comfortable on your shoulders. Adjust the length of the straps to find your most comfortable position.

Small Shoulder Bags

Although you may still be receiving asymmetrical distribution, small shoulder bags mean less weight, and you can hold them closer to your body. Avoid stressing one shoulder over the other by switching sides frequently.

Light Backpacks

One of the best options for bags are lightweight backpacks. These come in all styles, from sporty to formal, so there’s no need to worry about looking professional. These bags distribute weight evenly across both shoulders, with adjustable straps for comfort. 

If you have any questions about what your fashion sense is doing to your  back, or if you’d like to set up a consultation or appointment, contact Spencer Chiropractic Center today!

Regardless of whether your job has you sitting at a desk all day, rushing meals to customers, stocking shelves, or manually working on a factory line, bad posture can cause a lot of pain and discomfort on the job and after you’re done for the day. 

Even if we don’t realize it, the routine things we do are constantly affecting our posture. Good posture is important for balance, helps your form when doing physical activities, and can decrease chronic pain in your back and shoulders.

Left unchecked, bad posture can cause joint and even nerve issues in the future. By consciously adjusting your posture, you can prevent some of your discomfort and reduce any symptoms you’re already experiencing.

While there’s only so much you can do on your own to help with back pain, actively working to correct your posture can be a great starting point.

Avoid Slouching in Your Seat

Your mom said it. So did your teacher, and probably your doctor. Slouching puts pressure on all the wrong places and can cause pain in the shoulders, upper back, and lower back.

Sitting at a desk in an office for hours at a time can wreak havoc on your spinal alignment and posture. Slouching toward your keyboard or leaning into your desk is easy to do after a long day of typing, but try to practice a neutral posture. This means you should keep your computer monitor at eye level, pull your shoulders and back flat against the back of your seat, and rest your feet flat on the ground.

Wear Supportive Shoes

The shoes you wear have a surprising connection to your posture. If you are on your feet at work, shoes that accommodate any discrepancies in leg length and provide adequate arch support can go a long way toward alleviating posture issues and discomfort.

Wearing footwear such as tall heels, extremely flat shoes, or shoes that are too small can cause severe back pain and ruin your posture over time. If your feet fail to evenly absorb the shock your body weight places on them as you walk, you can suffer extreme joint, heel, and ankle pain.

The arch of your foot also helps support the curve of your spine, so if your shoes aren’t supportive, your alignment and posture may be thrown off. No need to toss out all of your fancy heels and boots, but for any occasion where you know you’ll be on your feet most of the time, look for shoes with great arch support and sole cushions.

Rest Your Feet

Even if you can’t sit because of your job requirements, consider using a small stepping stool to rest your feet one at a time. This helps preserve the curvature of your spine and relieves pressure.

Drive Properly

People spend a lot of their time sitting in the driver’s seat of their car, commuting to and from work and getting stuck in irritating traffic. We tend to adopt a casual, rounded posture while sitting in our cars, and this can lead to issues such as tight shoulders, lower back pain, and poor posture.

Adjust your seat as high as it can comfortably go in order to seat yourself in a neutral posture and avoid slouching the pelvis. You can also purchase an additional lumbar support accessory (or use a rolled towel or small pillow) to place in the seat. This helps preserve the natural arch of your lower back.

Bend Your Knees

Don’t let your hips and back do all of the work! By bending your knees, you’ll relieve some of that pressure on your back when leaning over and protect it from injury, especially when lifting.

Use Lumbar Support

If your office won’t provide you with a chair with built-in lumbar support, bring your own small pillow or cushion. Even a folded coat placed against your lower back can help.

Watch Out for Text Neck

“Text neck” is a modern term for the strain that texting and looking down at your phone places on your neck muscles. Because of an increase in screen time and the popularity of handheld devices, more and more individuals, especially younger people, are suffering from aching pain and injury in their necks. Constant staring down at your phone can also cause shoulder strain and upper back pain.

When you use your phone, try to avoid static postures, and position your device so that it reduces stress on your head and neck.

Don’t Suffer in Silence — Take Charge of Your Well-Being

If you want to discuss a customized plan to work on bettering your posture, or simply want to sign up for an adjustment in time for the new year, contact Spencer Chiropractic Center today for a consultation!

Not only can we provide short-term relief by performing adjustments to your spine, but we can also discuss ways to improve your posture to prevent your pain or discomfort from increasing or returning in the future.

Featured image via Unsplash

The holidays are a time for family, friends, laughter, and love. Back pain shouldn’t distract from any of it, but the sad reality is that chronic pain and muscle strain can be brought on by many holiday activities. Here are some to watch out for. 

Wrapping Presents

The shiny bows and perfectly wrapped gifts under the tree are a picturesque part of any Christmas, but the repetitive motions involved in setting it all up can come with some painful repercussions. To avoid wrist pain from frequent folding, taping, and ribbon cutting, opt for gift bags or find some of Santa’s helpers (hint: a lot of kids love wrapping presents) to assist in preparing gifts and putting them under the tree.

[Related: Cold Weather and Pain: Why They’re Linked and How to Heal]

Decorating Your House

When decorating your house for the holidays, whether that means stringing lights, putting up a tree, or hanging mistletoe, be extra careful. Take precautions and use stepladders — never decorate alone in your house in case you fall and need immediate help. Be aware of your surroundings and remember — you won’t be able to enjoy these decorations if you’re stuck in bed (or worse, an emergency room!) with a bad back. 

Carrying Bags

The holiday season means tons of traveling and shopping, which means bags, bags, and more bags. Whether you’re hauling around heavy luggage at the airport or dragging shopping bags full of Christmas gifts at the mall, the added weight can be terrible for your shoulders, neck, and back. If you’re traveling, pack light and use roller suitcases to ease some of the strain. Out shopping? Take frequent breaks to load bags into your car, and make sure you are evenly carrying bags on both sides of your body.

[Related: Four New Year’s Resolutions to Ease Back Pain]

Shoveling Snow

Even if you live in a state that doesn’t see much snow, sometimes a heavy storm will surprise you. Wear appropriate boots when walking outside your property and keep focused — ice isn’t always obvious and a slip and fall could mean a thrown out back or much worse. If you decide to shovel your walkway or driveway, make sure you aren’t throwing the snow over your shoulders, but lifting and moving it to the side while keeping the shovel in front of you.

Stressing Out

Finally, the holidays are undoubtedly a joyous, but stressful, time. Make sure you take care of your mental and physical health by avoiding an overpacked schedule, making to-do lists, and trying not to over exert yourself with work or socially. Try to keep hydrated, get a proper amount of sleep, eat well (but don’t beat yourself up about sneaking some treats — after all, ‘tis the season), relax, and remember what’s most important about the holidays: friends and family.

If you have any questions, concerns, or tips about how you deal with holiday stress, or if you’d like to set up a consultation or appointment, contact Spencer Chiropractic Center today!