When it comes to storing your wallet, it would appear that size is rather important, as carrying – and sitting on – a cube of cash, plastic cards, and leather can result in major problems for your back.
For millions of men around the world – and plenty of women too, trouser design permitting – the pockets sewn into the seat of trousers are the go-to place in which to store any number of things. But a thick wallet containing paper bills, a handful of coins, and half-fill loyalty cards can be playing havoc with your sciatic nerve.
The nerve, located right behind the hip bone, can end up getting pinched between a wallet or purse and the hip itself, causing a sharp pain the spreads from the hip all the way down the leg.
Another issue is a tilted pelvis, with wallet-sized objects forced a rear end to up-end on one side, putting greater pressure on the spine. Instead of sitting in the correct posture, you end up rounding your lower back to compensate.
And the bigger the wallet, or whatever it is you might be carrying in your pocket, the bigger the problem; the more lopsided a person ends up sitting, the more discomfort and back pain he or she is more likely to feel.
The quickest solution, swapping the rear pocket for one of the front ones, is not actually the best one, particularly if you are seated in a car. With the chance of a sitter pinching his or her thigh and torso, stuffing a wallet into these pockets can also lead to pain. The right thing to do, according to some medical experts, is to leave your wallet in a breast pocket or bag.
