How to properly carry heavy bags of groceries without back pain. the doctor told him

How to properly carry heavy bags of groceries without back pain. the doctor told him

Sergey Aleksutov November 26, 2023, 15:45 Moscow time

Many people are used to holding bags in one hand, but how can this habit benefit our health?

Outstanding traumatologist-orthopedist, podiatrist (specialist in foot diseases)

“Many people refuse to buy bags at the supermarket, thinking that this will reduce environmental pollution and save money. At the same time, it is not entirely obvious that you will save on your health by doing so. Therefore, the correct response at the checkout when the salesperson asks if he needs the bags is “Give me two.”

Why should weights be distributed evenly?

When a person returns home with groceries, he carries the package mainly in one hand. Therefore, the load on one side increases, which can cause changes in the body. The body has to adapt to the additional weight, adapting the entire system. The shoulder on the loading side drops, meaning the leg on that side will be slightly higher to maintain a central body position.

Photo: istockphoto.com/Mikhail Rudenko

At the same time, the evenly located spine changes and acquires a C or S shape. It is this lateral displacement that is called scoliosis. The spinal muscles are also forced to adapt to this position and overstretch or go into spasm on each side.

A series of changes can cause a feeling of discomfort and pain not only in the spine, but also, for example, “shoot” to other areas, depending on which nerves are affected by the traumatic effect.

We pay attention to the spine, but imbalance due to changes in gait biomechanics also affects the lower limbs. The more loaded leg carries additional stress, meaning that each step is potentially a risk factor for the development of pain in the joints of the feet, knees and hips. It’s hard to imagine, but a change in body position will affect the entire musculoskeletal system.

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What threatens this?

Here is only an incomplete list of violations of symmetrical shock loading on the body:

muscle spasms and pain in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine; curvature of the spine itself; gait disturbance; discomfort; “lumbago” and pain in the legs; deformation of the feet and heel spurs.

How to avoid consequences

To avoid negative effects on the body, the weights should be placed evenly in both hands. This will allow the load to be distributed symmetrically, meaning it will be supported by the body more easily than when only one side is involved.

Photo: istockphoto.com/DragonImages

For example, instead of one bag that weighs 7 kg, choose two bags and try to distribute the products so that each contains 3.5 kg.

When the first symptoms of discomfort and pain in the body appear, it is recommended to seek help from a doctor and obtain more detailed advice from a specialist.

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