Do you know someone who stuffs their wallet in their back pocket? Maybe you’re guilty of it just like I have been in the past. I can remember 20 years ago using a bi-fold wallet that held everything but my car keys. I kept every important paper I thought I might need in that wallet. I would then shove that huge wallet in my back pocket. Maybe this concept was created because of fashion or possibly it was from necessity. In any case, putting your wallet in your back pocket can cost you more than just back pain. It can lead to pain, suffering, time off work, time from activities you love and cost you hard-earned cash in healthcare bills to correct the damage it causes.
The main way a wallet can hurt you is when you sit on it for any length of time. This can cause symptoms of pain, inflammation, tingling or numbness that reside in the low back, buttocks and sometimes down the legs.
Sitting on your wallet on a daily basis can cause a shift in your pelvis and lower back. Long-term, this can create an unwanted curvature in the lower spine and cause irritation of nerves that travel from your low back down your legs. This can also lead to osteoarthritis of the spine, degenerative disc disease and potential damage to the discs of the spine.
The problem with having a wallet in the back pocket is that it is elusive. After the pain has surfaced from sitting on a wallet, victims want to blame either their seat or their aging back.
The simple answer of fixing this issue is to stop putting your wallet in your back pocket! Instead of the bulky, overstuffed wallet in the back pocket, we need to move to sleeker designs that will fit in the front pocket. Just like cell phones, bigger is not better when it comes to wallets.
There are many options for small wallets. Some just hold your driver’s license and cash while others will also hold 10 or more credit cards. With a smaller size, it can fit easily in a front pocket along with your keys and your phone.
Let’s stop and think about it. Does it make sense to sit on any surface that is uneven? Often, I see patients that have wallets that are over an inch thick that are jammed in their back pocket. By having a wallet, phone or anything else in your back pocket, it can create an uneven pelvis and undue pressure on the sciatic nerve that travels down the leg.
If pain, numbness or tingling affects your back, buttocks or legs then removing the wallet from your back pocket is a simple place to start. It’s ironic that the device that holds your money can also cost you a lot in medical bills.
If someone you love sits most of the day and uses a back-pocket wallet, then it’s time for a change. Give them the gift of a new, slim wallet that can fit in the front pocket. (Most people are not good with change, so you may have to help them downsize and transfer their items from their old wallet.) I know it seems like a simple change, but using a front-pocket wallet might be the best investment you can make with your money!
-by Dr. Brandon Crouch
About the author: Dr. Brandon Crouch is a Chiropractor with Crouch Family Chiropractic. Dr. Crouch is an advocate for being proactive when it comes to your health and encourages people to make healthy, informed decisions. For more information or questions you can contact him online at: www.crouchfamilychiro.com or find him on facebook at: www.facebook.com/CrouchFamilyChiropractic.
Credit: Wallet photo is courtesy of Gary, one of my wonderful patients. Somehow, he does manage to get his wallet in his front pocket! I’ll take that as a win!
