"Watch Your Back" by Kalis Koh

Watch Your Back Besides the perils of a shrinking bank account, the price women pay for fashion extends even to their health.

Looking chic comes with a price for Miss Tay Yayin, 22.

For the past two months, the pharmacy technician has been enduring pain in her neck and upper back owing to an oversized tote bag she bought from Zara. On days when her bag is heavier than usual, she takes a longer time to arrive at her destination as she has to stop for a few times to take a rest.

“All along, I suffer from occasional backache because of a crooked spine, but the frequency of pain has increased ever since I started carrying a heavier bag,” she said.

Voluminous bags are proving to be a health hazard due to their potential in inflicting back and shoulder injuries on their users.

According to The Straits Times, clinics and physiotherapy practices are receiving a steady stream of patients seeking treatment for pains in their upper backs and necks as a result of the heavy loads they are lugging.

“If they (women) have a car or arrive in cabs, it doesn’t really matter, but if they have to walk long distances, then it begins to matter especially if they have an existing injury,” said Dr Serene Ng, 36, a chiropractor from Integrative Chiropractic.

One shoulder can become bigger than the other due to an uneven distribution of weight, she said. Carrying your bag on one shoulder strengthens the trapezius muscle there, which causes one side of the muscles to become bulkier than the other. Over time, it can result in a lop-sided body position.

Carrying heavy bags in your hands can create a traction force which pulls your joint further apart, increasing the laxity in your wrist joints, added Dr Ng.

Dr Ng warns that the situation is worsened when you clutch your handphone to your ear while carrying a heavy bag. The muscle puts up with increased pressure, which may result in cervical radiculopathy, a condition characterised by the damage of nerve function.

Despite the health repercussions, some users are undaunted by the dangers of oversized bags.

Madam Ho Wai Kuin, 38, a homemaker, said, “Having a big bag is convenient. I can easily dump things inside and it’s good to know that the bag is filled up even though my shoulder aches when I carry it for too long.”

Miss Chan Sing Ying, 19, a student at the Nanyang Technological University, said a capacious bag “is necessary” since she is staying in the school hostel. The ample space allows room for her “dirty clothes, laptop, books and other necessities” when she returns home at the end of each week.

“More importantly, you would rather want to be seen toting around a fashionable bag than to carry a haversack,” she added.

For those whose penchant for big bags is unwavering, Dr Ng recommends investing in one that is made of a soft and flexible material with wide straps.

“When your bag is hard and rigid, it doesn’t allow much body movement. A pliable bag, on the other hand, accommodates the shape of your ribs and allows proper trunk rotation movement, hence preventing you from swaying more to one side,” she said.

She encourages users to carry different bags from time to time. The varying depths of dissimilar bags can result in one bag feeling heavier than the other even though equal weight has been placed in both bags.

“If your bag isn’t made very well, when all your items sink to the bottom of your bag, it feels very heavy. However, if you place all your items into another bag that is more shallow, it will feel lighter as the items are more evenly spread out and [they] are contained flat-packed in your bag,” added Dr Ng.

By doing so, the body is not loaded in the same position with the same weight all the time.

To ensure the weight of your bag is distributed evenly across your body, you should carry your bag as close to your body as possible and utilise all the pockets, said Dr Ng.

A local healthcare company, EzyHealth Holdings, suggests that users engage in low impact activities such as yoga. Exercising strengthens the back muscles which reduces back pain.

The Daily Mail warns against carrying your bag in the crook of your arm. This may relieve some pain momentarily, but it actually puts more strain on your body as your bag is further from your body’s centre of gravity.

Anti-inflammatory medications, massage, ice packs and hot packs can help to alleviate backache temporarily, according to the Health Promotion Board. Avoid long periods of bed rest as they will weaken the muscles, lengthening the time needed to recover. But more importantly, a correct posture should be maintained at all times.

Everybody pays a different price for following fashion fads, but if you are experiencing acute pain, you should heed your body’s warning and seek medical attention.

Despite the health warnings, it seems that many are not going to ditch their supersized bags until the trend dies down.

“It’s all about the fashion aspect. People see the bag, but not the pain,” said Ms Tay.