Tired? Achy? Blame Your Enormous Purse

I’m definitely a habitual offender when it comes to carrying a purse that’s too heavy. But it’s more than inconvenient and awkward to carry — it can cause injury.

Bags for women have become bigger and heavier as designers combine briefcases with handbags and straps have become longer but the extra leverage has many patients complaining of neck, shoulder and back problems.

“I see so many women with neck pains and headaches and what I usually do is look for their purse and pick it up,” said Jane Sadler, a family practice physician on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center in Garland, Texas.

An article from Reuters recommends the following guidelines for purse carriers:

• Be conscious of your posture. You should keep your head and shoulders upright, and avoid slouching to one side.
• Rotate your purses so you’re always carrying a different size and weight.
• Balance when you can. If you can switch to a backpack or wear your purse across your chest to evenly distribute the weight, do it.

Something that’s really worked for me is taking an extra minute before leaving the house to make sure I actually need everything that I’m carrying with me. Some days, I can just grab my wallet and cell phone and stick them in a clutch. Other days, I do actually need the gargantuan bag I usually carry — but not every day.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King