Duffel trouble

That hefty bag you're toting can be a pain in the neck - literally

By KATIE FOUTZ

Paula Ellis, a computer programmer from Glen Ellyn, used to carry a black leather executive bag and coordinating purse - both bulging with file folders, a day planner, phone, pager, asthma medication, makeup, spare change, a lunch bag and sometimes a pair of shoes.

"I looked like the bag lady," she said.

Handbag dos and don'ts

1. DON'T carry more than 10 percent of your body weight. Any more can throw off your posture.

2. DON'T carry a bag - roll it. Bags on wheels take the pressure off your body.

3. DO consider a backpack. It distributes the weight between both shoulders.

4. DO look for a shoulder bag with short, wide straps. Slender straps tend to dig into your shoulder or fall off. Also, try to alternate the shoulder you carry it on.

5. DON'T wait to seek treatment for pain. You can avoid serious injury and surgery by addressing the problem early.

Source: Dr. Christine Villoch, Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch

She complained to multiple doctors and specialists about the pain in her lower back, neck and shoulder, but she didn't make the connection until a spine specialist asked to see her bags.

"She picked up my purse and said, 'Oh, my God!'" Ellis recalled.

The specialist, Dr. Christine Villoch of the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch, said she has seen more cases of "handbag syndrome" as handbags - and laptop bags and diaper bags - have gotten bigger. As people cram more activities into their days, they tend to cram more stuff into their bags.

"I see the more clinical diagnosis as far as the strain of neck muscles and ligaments, then you look over and see whether they've got a big bag with them," she said. "Most people don't come in and say, 'I've got a big old bag and that's what's causing my pain.' It just doesn't click for them."

Villoch explained that the neck has a natural curve to it that evenly distributes forces on the spine. When a person carries a heavy bag on one side over a long period of time, that natural curve starts to straighten. That can lead to chronic neck and back pain, chest pain, even headaches. Left untreated, it can lead to more serious injuries such as herniated discs.

"Posturally, it puts you at a biomechanical disadvantage," she said. "By carrying that big bag, it puts you in certain positions, pulls you forward, and throws you off as far as your posture."

For Ellis, 53, handbags actually hurt her. After carrying big bags on the same shoulder for 15 to 20 years, she was in so much pain that she had her husband carry her purse for her at church because it felt too heavy. She was diagnosed with bulging discs in her lower back and neck and a torn rotator cuff in her right shoulder.

Villoch gave Ellis two rounds of steroid injections, about six months apart. She also prescribed two six-week stints of physical therapy, where Ellis worked on strengthening her lower body, abdominal muscles, back, shoulder and neck. Ellis continues to work with resistance bands at home to keep up her new muscle tone.

The very first step of treatment was getting rid of the offending handbag. No one should carry more than 10 percent of their body weight, Villoch said. If a handbag is a must, look for pieces with short, wide straps that don't slip off easily.

"If you can forgo the fashionista statement, the rolling bags are always better," she said.

Ellis' new purse is smaller, but she struggles to keep it light. Her new work bag is a black canvas rolling bag that resembles a piece of carry-on luggage. The only time she has to lift it is while getting it in or out of her car.

"This rolling thing changed my life," she said. "It's not pretty, but it fits everything."

Coincidentally, Ellis' twin sister, Aurora resident Pamela Reynolds, complained about back pain she thought was from her job as a dentist. Her doctor asked to see her purse.

With preventive measures and physical therapy, both sisters avoided surgery.

"Women don't think about it," Ellis said. "At the first sign, when your neck hurts and your shoulder hurts, look at that bag. I'm just glad to be out of pain."

Dr. Christine Villoch can be reached at Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN) (773) 250-0000.
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