Why the big purse may be literally backbreaking

Posted by Kathy Crifasi on

(photo credit: Dr. Braun Chiropractic, http://drbraunchiropractic.com/)

In my daily search for interesting reading I came across an article in O Magazine on “How to Find a Handbag that Won’t Hurt.” Now one of the reasons the Hipzbag was invented was so that we could ditch the big, bulky purse and keep to the essentials, so it’s fascinating to read about the actual health effects that your ginormous purse could be having on you.

A few years ago, Prevention Magazine compiled a list of injuries and pain caused by carrying a too-heavy purse:(http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/bags-and-back-pain-could-your-purse-or-handbag-be-causing-pain)

- Increase risk of scoliosis and kyphosis in women with weak bones
- Tension headaches caused by pressure on the muscles in the back of the head and shoulders
- Painful osteoarthritis or full-blown degenerative joint disease in predisposed shoulders
- Upper-back and muscles become strained from carrying heavy weight in one position over time
- Numbness and tingling in the arm from nerve mircrotrauma

I’m admittedly not a ‘big purse girl,' but I do frequently wear heels that top four inches so I know a thing or two about suffering for fashion. However, I try to reduce the damage of heels by stretching and limiting my time in them, so it was about time someone wrote an article about how to “carry safely.” O Magazine interviews chiropractor Isis Medina, who gave some pretty awesome suggestions.

Medina’s rules include keeping the total purse weight below 10% of your body weight, make sure your bag has structure so it can distribute your items more evenly and avoid long-strapped shoulder bags as they tug you to one side in a C shape.

Funnily enough, Medina also recommends fanny packs (or a hipper alternative J )  since they rest on the lower lumbar vertebrae that are more equipped to bear the weight. He also suggests a bag with easy access so you don’t have to twist or distort your torso to fish out your valuables. So now when you give your friends a Hipzbag you can tell them that “not only are you going to be fashionable, but I’m looking out for your heath, too!”

O Magazine says that the things we routinely carry on a scale total 15 pounds! That doesn’t even include things like laptops or a water bottle! How heavy do you think your purse is?


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