Beyond Glamour: The True Cost of High Fashion on Our Bodies

The typical woman is used to enduring discomfort in the name of fashion—she can afford to wear toothpick-tight jeans, oversize, heavy handbags, and six-inch stilettos.

It seems sense that who you wear matters just as much as what you wear in our "Look At Me" society. But certain modern fashions should come with caution labels instead of designer labels.

Women may pay a heavy price for fashion, but it's not the price of expensive purses and shoes that I mean; rather, it's the price of your health. If you don't take action to address some fashion trends—or at the absolute least, identify them—they may have negative effects.

Bigger Isn't Always Better: Is Your Over-Sized Handbag Causing Back Pain?
Back pain can be brought on by bulky purses, computer bags, and even dog carriers that hold a 10-pound dog. Typically handbag contents include a phone, iPad, wallet, makeup bag, water bottle, book, magazine, and sometimes an additional pair of shoes. Although they may not seem like much, they can add up to 10 pounds to your weight, and carrying that much weight can lead to neck and shoulder problems.

Putting too much weight on one side of the body when dressing is a major contributor to neck and back pain. Your spine curves when you bear a lot of weight on one side of your body for an extended length of time, which might result in back pain symptoms.

What then are your options? Strive to achieve symmetry. Rather than a bag with a single strap that rests on one shoulder, opt for a purse that you may wear diagonally across your torso. If you must use a single-strap bag, consider switching up the sides you carry it on.

That Stylish Backpack You Bought Your Child Can Be A Pain In Their Neck (And Shoulders)
It's a fact that children aspire to be stylish and up to date. These days, with iPads, computers, e-books, and online education, it seems redundant to need a backpack. However, children are still overloaded with conventional books, calculators, notebooks, binders, and folders. All of it adds up to tip the scales in the wrong direction.

Sadly, the majority of children are carrying backpacks that are excessively hefty for them. I understand the issue all too well because I'm a parent of three(2 daughters and a son).

 A child's backpack should weigh no more than about 15 percent to 20 percent of his or her body weight. If a child starts complaining about neck, back or shoulder pain, parents should look at the backpack first.

Less Is More: Wallets Are Causing Men Pain And It Has Nothing To Do With A Lack Of Cash
Millions of guys sit on their wallets at work at their desks and drive with them in their back pockets. Regretfully, there are worse things you could do for your back than this. Sitting on a thick, heavy wallet can cause your pelvic balance to be off, which can lead to persistent pain in your shoulders, hips, and back. This is a common cause of sciatica and back pain.

The sciatic nerve, which travels from either side of the spine through the back of each thigh to the foot, may eventually become compressed and result in sciatica, which is characterized by excruciating leg pain and numbness. You might also experience piriformis muscle enragement around your glutes, which can exacerbate the sciatic nerve and cause lower back and sciatic discomfort. If you plan to sit for an extended amount of time, it is preferable to keep your wallet or money clip in your front pocket.

Sole Searching: Your "Killer" Heels May Be Killing Much More Than You Think
The most in-demand fashion trends of today, such extremely high heels and pumps, are often associated with high-end fashion designers.

But the agony you get when you walk in your 6-inch heels is a sign of possible harm to your body, including your neck and back, from wearing fashionable shoes. That is not how the foot is supposed to be jammed into a shoe. It positions the body in an extremely abnormal way.

Wearing high heels, or shoes with a heel height of two inches or more, causes your foot to slide forward within the shoe, forcing your toes into the odd shape and causing an inappropriate distribution of weight. Your body tilts forward due to the extra weight on your toes, causing you to overarch your back and lean backwards in an attempt to correct the posture. This can put strain on your lower back, hips, and knees.

I'm not suggesting that you give up your heels! However, consider taking occasional breaks for your feet by wearing flats or running shoes, particularly if you walk to work.

The Skinny On Skinny Jeans
For many men and women, skinny jeans have become the ideal wardrobe staple. Sadly, attempting to fit in with them is more than just a hassle. In fact, nerve injury could result from an extremely tight fit.

When a nerve on the outside of the thigh compresses, it can result in a disorder known as meralgia paresthetica, which is characterized by pain, tingling, and numbness. If you wear ultra-high heels with those skinny pants, there's a greater chance of causing offence.

Bottom line: If you love your body more than the clothing it's dressed in, keeping up with these fashion trends doesn't have to take a toll on your health.