12/22/2024
🔈 NECK, SHOULDER & BACK PAIN AS A RESULT OF CARRYING YOUR HANDBAG ON ONE SHOULDER
❄ WHY SHOULDN'T YOU CARRY YOUR HANDBAG THIS WAY?
Many women carry their handbags on one shoulder, and they tend to favor the dominant, stronger, or non-injured one. Even if the bag is empty and very light, the natural slope of the shoulder means they are going to have to elevate the scapula/shoulder girdle with contraction of the upper shoulders and neck to prevent the bag from sliding off. This isometric contraction overuses and abuses the muscles of the neck. If the bag is heavy, it's even worse because a more powerful muscular contraction is needed, and the strap of the bag digs into the musculature of the shoulder, causing direct physical irritation and cutting off local blood circulation.
❄ WHERE DOES THE PAIN COME FROM?
Due to your body’s efforts to redistribute the extra weight, your muscles tense more and as such become stiff. The trapezius muscle and the muscles that go from your shoulder to the base of your neck, which sits on top of your shoulders, may spasm and therefore tighten, resulting in a lot of stiffness in the upper back, shoulder area and neck. This may lead to pain when turning your head and the development of arthritis in the lower neck. Some may even develop tension headaches from constantly carrying heavy handbags. As the muscles in your shoulder and neck area spasm, it can result in pain from the back of your skull that radiates around to the front.
❄ ADVICE
It's better to either wear the bag across the body or to use a backpack.
