Out of every 10 people who visit our clinics, 9 are suffering from back pain. It is not enough to treat and discharge, but to also look into harmful habits causing the disorder. Therefore advise accordingly. Sitting on wallets seems to take many people by surprise.
When it comes to your wallet, size matters. Carrying a wallet in your back pocket can mean major trouble for your back.
The problem starts when your sciatic nerve, which is right behind your hip joint, gets pinched between the wallet and your hip, and can be diagnosed as sciatica. It causes pain that starts from your hip and sends aches all the way down your leg.
Stuffing a wallet in your back pocket also tilts your pelvis to one side. This puts more stress on your spine. Instead of sitting upright, you actually round your lower back. The bigger your wallet, the more tilted at an angle you are forced to sit, and the more pain you will end up with.
Switching your wallet to your front pocket will not help much, as it can create a pinch between your thigh and upper body especially when you are in a car. This also leads to discomfort. Generally, take your wallet out of your back pocket when you sit down or drive.
Even if your wallet is not big enough to set your spine too far off center, depending on its placement, a small wallet can irritate your sciatic nerve (which is usually just about where your wallet sits). This will lead to pain in the back that can run all the way down your leg. Even driving for a small period like 30 minutes while sitting on your wallet can cause you back pain or sciatic pain.
Prevention
The simple way to avoid this is to just keep your wallet in your jacket or front pocket.
Nellie Nthiga,
BDM,
Chiropractic & Physiotherapy Health Centre
