Sitting on a big wallet can lead to big problems with your back over time.
Would you believe that sitting in a big wallet is a really common problem? How many of you place your wallet in your back pocket and think nothing of leaving it there all day as you sit in your chair at work or in the car?
Your hips and pelvis are the foundation for the low back. Think of them as the concrete foundation on your house. If the foundation is not constructed close to perfectly level, the rest of the house will be uneven as well. The taller the house, the greater it will be tilted.
Your back can be exposed to the same scenario. If your wallet is in the back right pocket and you are sitting on it, the right hip and pelvis will be sitting higher than the left. The thicker the wallet, the more uneven the pelvis will be.
Have you ever noticed that no matter what position your body is in, your head will always attempt to remain upright? Your balance and vision work best when your head is in this position. For this reason, your brain will always attempt to keep your head in as close to an upright position as possible.
When your pelvis is sitting unevenly, your lower back will lean to one side.
Then, to compensate, your upper back and neck will always attempt to bend the other way. This will allow your head to be level. If this position or crooked posture is maintained for long periods of time, your back will begin to suffer.
The curves put pressure on the joints of the back. The muscles become tired and achy. Even the nerves that exit the spine can become irritated, making matters even worse.
This is when patients usually enter my office. They can’t understand why they are in such pain. They ask what is wrong with them considering they didn’t do any heavy lifting.
In passing, I always ask them if they are storing their wallet in the back pocket of their pants. If the answer is yes, this is the first thing we eliminate.
Then, with chiropractic treatment, we get their stiff and sore joints moving again. We also teach them to stretch the tight muscles.
However, if the patient continues to leave the wallet in the pocket, the back pain may not go away. If it does disappear, it will likely reoccur.
If you do not eliminate the cause of the back problem, the symptoms will almost always come back. This is why we tell patients to treat the cause of their problem, not just their symptoms.
SO USE A SLIM WALLET IN YOUR FRONT POCKET.