Need to read this now if you carry a heavy laptop to the office every day.

Carrying Heavy Bags Can Have Long-Term Impact on Health, Say Doctors

What do you carry in your office bag? Typically, it must be a laptop, a lunch box, a water bottle, and a few stationeries. Ever wondered how much weight this bag puts on your shoulder? Around 2-3 Kgs. Doesn’t that sound much? Well, carrying a load with this much weight on a regular basis can have a disastrous impact on your health.

Effects on Posture and Musculoskeletal System

According to doctors, consistently carrying heavy bags can lead to long-term changes to your posture. The added weight can lead to strain on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the shoulders, neck, and back. Heavy lifting done repeatedly or over an extended period of time can lead to spine misalignment, poor posture, and muscular imbalances, which can be very painful.

Poor Carrying Techniques Worsen the Problem

These problems can also be made worse by poor carrying techniques, such as draping a bag over one shoulder or keeping it too close to the body. This can eventually result in chronic diseases like shoulder impingement, neck strain, and lower back discomfort.

Potential Health Issues

Carrying heavy bags for a long time can harm the shoulder nape and neck muscles, creating an imbalance between the shoulder blade and restricting the normal swing of the arm while walking. This can lead to muscle wasting, uneasiness, aches in the muscles of the shoulder, neck, and shoulder blade, and even conditions like spondylitis, frozen shoulder, scapular dyskinesia, and vertigo.

How to Decrease the Negative Impact

To decrease the negative impacts of heavy bags, doctors recommend using ergonomic bags with padded straps, uniformly distributing the weight, and tightening the straps to the body. Choosing lightweight laptop models or using a rolling bag can also help. Taking regular pauses, engaging in stretching exercises, and adopting good posture while carrying bags or laptops can also lessen the harm to the body’s structure and function.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Keep the weight of the bag to a minimum.
• Consider using a wheelbase trolley to hold the bag.
• Give rest to the shoulder and neck muscles.
• Perform mild stretching exercises at regular intervals.
• Include shoulder rotator cuff strengthening exercises and neck exercises to avoid long-term consequences.

If the problem becomes unmanageable, it is advised to consult an orthopedic specialist for further examination and personalized guidance to avoid complications.