Wearing skinny jeans, oversized bags may up your back pain

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 on Tuesday.

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

While over a quarter (28 per cent) of women are aware 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.

"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 outfit-choice 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 try investing in a backpack for days when you have a lot to carry around."