When we first met, Anna complained about neck, shoulder and low back pain, all on her right side. She had seen her physician and her doc hadn’t found anything medically wrong with her. Yet when she saw me a few weeks later, she was still experiencing significant discomfort.
In addition to other fitness goals, Anna wondered if working out would improve her right side issues.
I created an upper body program emphasizing mobility, weight training and static stretching. Anna’s discomfort lessened somewhat but not as much as I had hoped. Her right side discomfort was a bit of a puzzle until one day when I saw her walk into the gym still in street clothes. Her handbag was slung over her right shoulder and she literally was tilting sideways as she walked. When questioned about her handbag, she said she always wore it on her right shoulder and “carried only essentials”.
I somewhat jokingly said her bag looked like weighed 10lbs! Anna thought it was 2lbs at most. Now we had to weigh it.
Her bag came in at a hefty 8lbs. We both were astonished.
Imagine strapping an 8lb dumbbell to your right shoulder and walking around like that for months. Picture how you might throw your handbag in the car or grab it without thinking when getting out of the car. Consider the wear and tear on your body.
No wonder Anna had significant discomfort.
Ever since that day, I’ve evaluated all clients for whatever they carry on a routine basis be it a handbag, briefcase or backpack. I ask them to weigh their bags to assess how much they’re lugging around. Most clients are not aware of how heavy their bags may be nor are they aware of what the best physical positions are to carry weight on their bodies.
Ergonomically, a single handbag carried constantly on the same shoulder is the worst choice. The weight of the bag is not evenly distributed over the body and that shoulder never gets a break.
In Anna’s case, her right shoulder and right side of her body were forced to work harder than her left side. The heaviness of her handbag and the position of the bag (it dangled below her hip which means it bounced a bit as she walked) caused her to continually elevate her right shoulder to keep the bag in place. She also listed to the right with every step. Her spinal alignment was affected as well. When she walked, her spine would be pulled somewhat to the right, her body curving sideways.
I asked Anna if she would consider alternatives such as a backpack or a cross body/messenger style bag. A backpack distributes weight evenly over the body and ergonomically is the best choice. A cross body bag also distributes weight more evenly over the body and is the next best choice compared to a backpack.
Anna’s answer was a resounding no. She felt both alternatives were not fashionable, she was still working full time and wanted the “look” of a handbag.
Anna finally agreed to:
- Use a smaller bag
- Shorten the strap on the new bag so the bag rode slightly above her hip (less bouncing)
- Get the weight below 5lbs
- Switch the bag back and forth from right shoulder to left shoulder rather than only using her right shoulder
These changes lessened her physical discomfort and months later she observed her discomfort was gone.
Here are 3 additional tips to prevent neck and shoulder pain caused by carrying purses and bags as reported by the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons:
1. “Always limit the weight of your bag to 10% of your body’s weight. For example, if you weigh 100 pounds, you should not carry a bag that weighs more than 10 pounds.
2. At least once every month, clean out your bag. This is because sometimes you tend to carry things you don’t need all around. Get rid of the items you don’t need, items that are duplicated, and items you’re done with.
3. Because narrow straps place weight on smaller areas, choose bags that have wide, adjustable straps”.
Carrying weight whether that’s a handbag, groceries, a squirmy child or pet is a common daily occurrence for most of us.
What changes can you make to literally lighten your load and spare your body?