Big bags may be hurting backs
9:25 p.m. Saturday, December 9, 2006
While you may think that big bag is fashionable or just plain necessary, doctors say they're seeing more women crumbling under the weight of killer bags. It's the catch-all you throw everything from sunglasses to bottles of water in, but the growing sizes of purses may be more trouble than their worth.
"Men and women both, they’re carrying heavier and heavier bags and it becomes a problem for them,” Registered Nurse and Massage Therapist Paulette Danielson says.
Danielson is seeing more and more clients suffering from shoulder, neck and back pain due to the way they carry, pick up and pack those purses especially women hitting menopause.
"Bone and muscle mass begin to weaken. They have a much more difficult time in terms of building muscle mass,” says Danielson.
Danielson says that decrease in testosterone leaves some women at risk to suffer shoulder and neck injuries from carrying heavy bags. But just how heavy is too heavy? Danielson says if your purse weighs more than five pounds, it's time to do a little house cleaning. But some women say carrying around that extra weight is just part of the deal.
"I know a lot of women's purses are a lot heavier than that. We like to be prepared for all contingencies so you can carry everything,” says Topeka resident Ruth Mitchell.
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