If you have chronic or recurring low back pain, you could be sitting on the answer to your problem.
No, I’m not talking about the chair you’re in (that’s a whole other situation), I’m talking about that over-stuffed, over-sized hunk of cow hide you’ve been propping under your pelvis since the Clinton administration (or longer…).
Sitting on your wallet can cause an un-leveling of your pelvis and lumbar spine which over time can lead to dysfunction of those joints and most noticeably, PAIN. This tends to happen when your wallet sits directly under your “sit bone” on either side and lifts that half of the pelvis, causing your lumbar spine to have to bend in order to keep your head and eyes level with the horizon line (a reflexive action that you have no control over!). Our bodies are amazing compensation machines, which find ways to cope with the stresses we throw at them on a daily basis. Sitting on your wallet once or twice will likely not do any harm, but repeated exposures, over time, for long periods of time could lead to un even wear and tear on the joints and muscles of your hips and spine.
Even if you don’t sit directly on your wallet, you’re not entirely safe from harm. The pressure that it creates when it is in your back pocket against the muscular, vascular, and neurological structures in your hip and buttock can cause irritation leading to leg pain and conditions like sciatica!
Bottom line, DON’T SIT ON YOUR WALLET! If you absolutely must keep it in your back pocket, then make sure to take it out and put it somewhere else while you sit. I would recommend switching it to the front all together. It will feel a little strange at first, but you will get used to it after awhile. There are also a lot of options for minimizing the size of your wallet as well. Consider getting a money clip instead. You could also pick up a wallet similar to the one I just got from Machine-Era Co. It is thin, light weight, durable, and holds just the necessities.
So, don’t be like George Costanza. Ditch your butt-wedge, get a few adjustments (call us if you need a chiropractor in Denver!) to undo the havoc it has wreaked upon your spine, get out of pain, and never look back.
Until next time, be well.