Going to the supermarket to do your shopping seems to be a… rather harmless habit. However, this outing can harm your joints and promote pain and tension.
Why does this gesture tire our backs and knees?
Although certain habits seem practical at the time (such as carrying all bags on the same side when going to a supermarket), they unbalance posture and increase mechanical stress on the spine and lower limbs.
“Always carrying your shopping on the same side, too far from the body or when going up the stairs, silently tires the back and knees because it unbalances the spine, forces certain muscles to compensate and amplifies the impact with each step,” explains Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of True Medical.
Indeed, when weight is poorly distributed, the body tries to restore balance by placing greater strain on certain muscles and joints. Result: tensions gradually accumulate in the back, hips and knees, sometimes even without immediate pain.
A bag too far from the body or carried on only one shoulder actually creates “rotations and inclinations of the spine, as well as chronic overload on the intervertebral discs and sacroiliac joints, with an increased risk of cervical, lumbar pain and even osteoarthritis or ligamentous tensions”, warns the doctor.
Stairs further aggravate the phenomenon. With each step, the knees absorb a significant part of the body weight and the loads carried… which further wears out the joints.
How to protect your joints on a daily basis?
To limit stress on the back and knees, a few simple reflexes can make the difference on a daily basis:
- Better distribute the weight: favor backpacks worn on both shoulders, alternate sides, keep bags close to the body and avoid heavy loads;
- Change posture regularly: stay mobile, walk daily and practice some gentle stretches;
- Avoid prolonged bad positionss, do not smoke, drink enough water, maintain a healthy weight and consult in case of persistent pain.
In the event of pre-existing pathology (osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, joint prosthesis, inflammatory disease, etc.), caution: carrying heavy or poorly distributed loads greatly increases the risk of joint overload, tendinitis, worsening of pain and even ligamentous or prosthetic instability, due to greater transmission of shocks through already weakened joints.
“It is therefore recommended to avoid carrying bags on the same side, to limit loads, to distribute the weight, to keep the body close to the ground, to take regular postural breaks, to slightly strengthen the muscles around fragile joints and to consult your doctor or a physiotherapist in the event of persistent discomfort to adapt daily movements”, concludes Dr Gérald Kierzek.
Better distributing your bags, avoiding heavy loads and adopting good reflexes on a daily basis allows you to protect your back and joints in the long term. Simple advice, particularly important for people already suffering from osteoarthritis or chronic pain.