Accessories that leave you with a sore back

‘While overloaded and heavy handbags are a common culprit, skinny jeans can also wreak havoc to your back and legs. It is never a good choice to forsake health for fashion’

Suffering from severe back pain? Blame your clothing and accessories such as skinny jeans, oversized bags and those worn on one side of the body, coats with large fluffy hoods, high heeled shoes and backless shoes, according to a survey from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA).

The survey showed that three-quarters (73 per cent) of women have suffered with back pain and their wardrobe could be a major cause of the discomfort.

“While overloaded and heavy handbags are a common culprit, some more unexpected items like skinny jeans can also wreak havoc – they restrict free movement in areas such as the hips and knees, affecting the way we hold our bodies,” Tim Hutchful, chiropractor at BCA, said in a statement.

“New trends such as asymmetric hemlines, oversized sleeves and hoods and heavy jewellery can also create problems,” Hutchful added.

A study released in the year 2015 outlines the negative health effects that can result from wearing tight jeans; specifically skinny jeans. The study also outlined that squatting in these jeans can actually cause nerve and fiber damage in legs and feet. Published in the Journal of Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, the study outlines the case of a 35 year old woman who was treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia, reportedly for severe weakness in both of her ankles.

“On the day prior to presentation, she had been helping a family member move house. This involved many hours of squatting while emptying cupboards. She had been wearing ‘skinny jeans’, and recalled that her jeans had felt increasingly tight and uncomfortable during the day. Later that evening, while walking home, she noticed bilateral foot drop and foot numbness, which caused her to trip and fall. She spent several hours lying on the ground before she was found.

On examination, her lower legs were markedly oedematous bilaterally, worse on the right side, and her jeans could only be removed by cutting them off. There was bilateral, severe global weakness of ankle and toe movements, somewhat more marked on the right. Muscle power at the hips and knees was normal, knee jerks were normal and ankle jerks were absent. Sensation was impaired over the lateral aspects of both lower legs, and the dorsum and sole of both feet. Peripheral pulses were normal. The feet were warm and well-perfused.”

The woman’s jeans ended up having to be cut off, and she spent four days in the hospital until the condition of her feet and ankles improved enough for her to walk unaided.

While over a quarter (28 per cent) of women are aware that clothing effects their back, one-third of women (33 per cent) were completely unaware that their choice of clothing could impact their back or neck health.

And it is not just women who face the consequences of wearing skinny jeans but men too. If guys prefer the tight jeans look, then you might be putting yourself at risk of painful testicle and bladder problems, say medical experts. The fashionable denim may look good, but it can cause urinary tract infections, bladder weakness and twisted testicles.

In a survey of 2,000 British men, conducted for the company TENA, one in 10 said they had experienced unpleasant side effects from wearing tight jeans. One in four men said they wore tight jeans regularly “to show I can still fit in them” and “because they look good.”

The risks of suffering for the sake of fashion are numerous. Skinny jeans have been linked to low sperm count and fungal infections. In addition, onequarter of the men experienced a blad- der problem, and one-fifth had a twisted testicle due to the skinny jeans.

“I am always surprised at how many of my patients are unaware that their clothing and accessories can affect their back health and their posture and, equally, how many decide their outfitchoice outweighs their pain,” Hutchful said.

Suggesting a slew of measures to reduce the impact on the posture and overall health, Hutchful suggested: “Try and limit the number of times you wear skinny jeans or high heels every week where you’re giving your body a break, or invest in a backpack for days when you have a lot to carry around.”