IS YOUR WALLET CAUSING YOU LOW BACK PAIN?

Having a big wallet is not always a great idea.  According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), about 31 million Americans experience severe low back pain at one point or the other in their life. Roughly 84 percent of the entire world population also experiences some form of back pain in life.

One of the main causes of low back pain is nothing more than the giant, bulky wallet that you nonchalantly place in your back pocket.

Now, no one is going to berate you for carrying wads of cash in your wallet at all times. However, it is highly recommended – by chiropractic professionals – that you should find somewhere else to carry your money instead of stuffing it in your back pocket.

And statistics have even shown that most Americans who carry huge wallets place them in their back pockets for at least 9 hours every day on average.

Is Your Billfold Your Friend or a Foe?

Wallets do a lot for the average user. They are perfect for holding wads of cash, loyalty cards as well as credit cards.

But if you want to enhance your overall health especially that of your back and spine, then it may be high time you ditched that pocket-sized case.

Sitting on a folded billfold – loaded with cash or not – is similar to walking without a shoe on one foot. You can picture the imbalance that occurs, right? The same thing happens when you sit on a wallet stuffed in your back pocket.

The wallet creates an imbalance in your foundation (hips) whenever you sit on a hard and flat surface. There is a lack of symmetry or alignment to both your hips which causes added pressure on your piriformis muscle.

When you sit on your wallet while it is in your back pocket, it places a lot of physical stress on the lower spine i.e., the ligaments, muscles, discs, and nerves. This ends up adversely affecting the sciatic nerve which can lead to numbness, dysfunction, and searing lower back pain. The health condition that crops up is called “sciatica,” which can be extremely debilitating if left untreated.

What is the Solution?

The best solution to this predicament is to ensure that your wallet is not in any of your pockets while you are in a seated position.

In addition to not carrying your big wallet around in your back pocket, here are some recommendations from health experts:

Use a minimalist wallet: Minimalist wallets do not have enough room to hold some knickknacks, thereby making it easy to fit into your jacket or shirt pocket.

Make use of a conventional money clip: This is the easiest way to stay simple and classic.

Abandon the use of a wallet altogether: Technology has made it possible for people not to carry cards or cash around. And the availability of numerous payment options further buttresses this simple fact.

Conclusion

Now that you know the health implication of carrying that fat wallet around all the time, you should start creating a set of new and healthy habits that helps to alleviate back pain or keep it from happening in the first place.  If you are already suffering from lower back pain give us a call and we can help you get back on the road to health.  Call us at (908) 221-0808 to set up an appointment today.

Yours in health,

Dr. Brian Wallace