Women's Health

Big Purses Can Be a Big Pain

(iVillage Total Health) - Jumbo-size purses are all the rage, but they're also a pain in the neck—and elsewhere.

These hefty handbags can cause back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, headaches and maybe even arthritis, warns Dr. Jane Sadler of Baylor Medical Center in Garland, Texas.

"I see so many women with neck pains and headaches and what I usually do is look for their purse and pick it up. We take it over to the scale and weigh it and usually they're anywhere from 7 to 10 pounds," she stated in a news release issued by Baylor Health Care System.

Like those bulky backpacks hauled around by schoolkids, this fashion fad turns out to be just another case of poor posture and ergonomics. "It creates strain along the neck and into the nerves that exit the neck and down the shoulder so it can be very painful later on for many women," Sadler noted.

Suggested ways of pruning your purse include carrying only the money and credit cards you need, clipping your cell phone to your belt and leaving those oversized makeup kits at home.

"We're really going to see women with more and more problems later on if we continue the big purse craze," Sadler cautioned.

Copyright 2007 iVillage Total Health.