Caution: handbags can be hazardous to your health!

When was the last time you cleaned out your purse? According to some experts, extra huge handbags can be hazardous to your health. Following trends can be bad for your pocketbook but this one is also particularly bad for your back! Some precautionary measures are necessary if you own one of these trendy accessories.

Fashion models are now strutting down the catwalk wearing designer purses and bags that ought to be called “carry-alls” rather than handbags. The “it” bag, often quite impressive in size, suits both eveningwear and sportswear. However, the roomier your bag is, the more you will need to fill it. Unfortunately, this is a universal female predicament…

Some American physiotherapists and physicians have decided to sound the alarm about the health problems caused by these huge handbags. These health professionals noted that women who owned large handbags tended to have more neck pains, headaches and pain in the shoulders and upper back. You will be surprised to know that it is apparently not so unusual for handbags to weigh between 7 and 10 lbs (3 to 5 kilos)!

Carrying such weight on one shoulder or in your hand can easily create an imbalance in your gait and cause tension at various points in your body. Pain often appears rapidly after only a few hours of carrying a large purse. Massages, analgesics and rest can help temporarily alleviate the pain. But in the end if nothing is done to remedy the problem, occasional discomfort may turn into permanent pain felt at work or during regular physical activities. Yet the cure is often quite simple: simply lighten your load!

The best posture to adopt when walking with a handbag is to keep head and shoulders aligned upright. The weight should be well distributed by using either a backpack-type bag or by wearing the shoulder strap across the body. If you choose a bag that can only be worn on one shoulder or carried in your hand, opt for the smallest and lightest one possible. It is also important to clean out your purse often so you don’t end up carrying more than you should.

Large handbags should be used on occasion, not for an entire day of shopping. A fact your back will likely remind of that very night!

You don’t have to be a fashion victim but at least save yourself some pain and take the kitchen sink out of your purse!