Big bags — hobos, totes, messengers, the names change over years — are always in style. They’re functional, too, because they can hold a lot of, well, stuff. But that’s precisely where the risk can come in. Slung over one shoulder, they can eventually cause neck and shoulder pain similar to the kind of problem chiropractors see in kids who carry ill-fitting heavy backpacks. Women — and men — carrying such bags are contorting their posture to counterbalance a heavy bag that is pulling on one side. This can wreak havoc with muscles and with the spine.

The American Chiropractic Association says your handbag should be no more than 10 percent of your body weight. One way to keep a bag from getting too heavy is to get in the habit of cleaning it out once a week. Obviously there’s no sense in toting around unnecessary bulk and weight. If a bag gets too heavy before you have a chance to lighten the load, doctors recommend you carry it in front of you.

Fashion statements, like bags and stiletto heels, are statements that can send you to a chiropractor looking for relief. It’s even been noted that men who sit on excessively fat wallets are throwing off their posture. Talk with your chiropractor for more advice.

Presented as a service to the community by: Union County Chiropractic Clinic, 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, TN (865) 992-7000 www.unioncountychiropractic.com.