Is your bag too heavy? Six tips to carry safe

Occupational Therapist My-Linh Nguyen with heavy bags
Occupational Therapist My-Linh Nguyen with heavy bags
 

Purses, totes, satchels, school bags . . . Whatever you and your family are carrying, it’s likely too heavy and has the potential to cause injuries to your upper body. 

The Pulse spoke with North York General Hospital Occupational Therapist My-Linh Nguyen, who explained that carrying heavy grocery bags, purses and totes, and even school bags can cause:

  • Upper neck and back pain

  • Poor posture

  • Muscle spasms

  • Sciatica (including nerve pain in the buttocks and down the legs)

  • Tendinitis of the elbow

  • Injury to the rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder

  • Tension headaches

  • Numbness or tingling in the arms, hands or fingers due to pinched nerves


To avoid these injuries, My-Linh recommends:

  1. Choosing your bag carefully
    Big bags are not better. It just means you can put more things inside it making the bag heavier. Remember, a child's school bag or your purse should never weigh more than 10% of your body weight. If you're 140 pounds or 63 kilograms, your bag (and its contents) shouldn't be more than 14 pounds or 6.3 kilograms.
     
  2. Avoiding skinny straps
    Skinny straps dig into shoulders. A wider strap of 1.9 inches ( five centimetres) or more won't pinch your shoulder, and distributes the weight of the bag more evenly. The handles of grocery bags and baskets are very narrow. Use a cart when you grocery shop and if you need to walk home with your groceries use a bundle buggy.
     

  3. Nylon over leather
    Leather bags, even empty ones, are usually much heavier than fabric or nylon bags. Choose nylon bags for everyday use, the fabric is lighter, stronger and often cheaper than leather. It helps if your bag has different compartments to distribute weight evenly.
     

  4. Switching to a backpack

     When worn correctly, backpacks are designed to evenly distribute weight. Always use both straps, with the bag snug against your back. Put the heaviest item in your bag against your back.
     

  5. Spring cleaning your bag
    Take only what you need. For example, do you need your phone, tablet and e-reader? Empty coins from your wallet, only keep essential cards in your wallet and try to carry cash. If you have to carry a laptop to work every day, use two bags or use a carry-on sized bag with wheels.
     

  6. Learning the safe way to carry your grocery and handbags
    Don't carry a bag in the crook of your arm. This can injure your elbow, and possibly cause tendinitis. Whether in your hand or on your shoulder, alternate the bag from side to side.

Occupational therapists aim to enable people to achieve independence in their daily life after an illness, surgery and/or an injury. At North York General Hospital, occupational therapists participate as active members within their multidisciplinary teams. They provide assessment and treatment on various inpatient units, as well as, in some outpatient settings across NYGH.

Occupational therapy services at NYGH are offered in the following areas:

  • Paediatrics (including the NICU)

  • Medical units (inpatient)

  • Geriatric programs (inpatient, outpatient and community outreach)

  • Surgical Program (inpatient and outpatient plastics)

  • Adult Mental Health (inpatient, outpatient and community outreach)

This article first appeared in the September 2015 issue of The Pulse.

To receive North York General Hospital's community newsletter, subscribe now. 

Share this article