From the Ann Arbor office of chiropractor Mike Tannenbaum, D.C.

On occasion, I have a conversation with one of my Ann Arbor chiropractic patients about how to carry a wallet. I usually start these conversations when I notice a patient carrying a wallet in their back pocket. I explain that a wallet in the back pocket acts as a wedge when sitting on it. Sitting on a wedge raises one side of the pelvis, throwing off the alignment of the pelvic bones, which in turn potentially throws off the alignment of the bones in the low back. This, I add, may result in back, leg, knee, ankle, or foot pain and overall ill health. Ideally, I tell my patients, find a way not to have your wallet in your back pocket. Possibly wear it in the front pocket, or at least remove it from your back pocket when sitting.

Also, those who carry purses over one of their shoulders should consider changing their habit, as a purse worn over one shoulder may throw out bone/joint alignment in the upper back and neck. Use a type of purse that has shoulder straps so you can carry the purse over both shoulders (there are some pretty stylish shoulder strap purses out there) so that you're distributing weight evenly over your shoulders. Also, using a back pack, instead of a purse with shoulder straps, would work as well and there are many stylish options of backpacks available for those who don’t want the “outdoorsy” generic back pack look.

If you have any questions about this blog post, chiropractic, neck pain, back pain or headaches, please feel free to contact at my Ann Arbor office at [email protected].

The information in this blog is general in nature and is used for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice.