For most women, your handbag is more than an accessory. It’s where you store everything you’ll need for going to work and dining out. We keep our basics like wallets, cosmetics, laptops, snacks, gym clothes, water bottles etc.
The American Chiropractic Association reports that about 80 percent of the U.S. population will have back pain at some point in their lives. If you’re experiencing shoulder, back, buttock, and arm pain or tingling in your hands your hands, your handbag may be the culprit! Here a few tips to help:
- Lighten your load: This is the best way to ensure that your muscles and shoulders stay healthy. Reduce the weight of your handbag to the point where you don’t feel any noticeable strain from carrying it.
- Remember that bag offers no support: A backpack distributes weight more evenly, If you don’t like the idea of using a backpack, get a handbag with good, firm grips that have some added padding to help reduce the strain on your muscles.
- Alternate Sides: Most of us carry our bag on the same arm. When you have a heavy bag on the same shoulder for long periods of time, he explains, it’ll cause the shoulder to begin to roll forward and down which stretches the muscles in the upper back and neck. To prevent this alternate which side, you carry your handbag
- At the end of the day, don’t forget your daily stretch: Be sure to undo the imbalances heavy handbags cause by taking a few minutes at the end of the day to feel which of our muscles in our shoulders, neck, back, and chest are tight and tender, and then stretch those out.
- Remember to check in with your body. If you’re continuing to experience numbness or tingling in your hands and arms, or feel your back pain increasing, seek professional help by visiting your chiropractor, we can help!