The average weight of a typical handbag has increased by 35 per cent over the last five years, with the average bag now tipping the scales at around 2.5 kilos – the equivalent of a standard-sized housebrick.

Now osteopaths at the Back Pain Centre, Sunderland are warning that women following the trend for oversized bags could be setting themselves up for a lifetime of back problems and have urged them to downsize soon to avoid long-term damage.

Senior osteopath Jason Oshinowo, said: “The real problem with carrying a laden bag is that you don’t tend to think about how heavy it is at the time or what the effects may be, so the damage to your spine builds up gradually.

“We keep scales in the reception of our clinic and encourage every woman who enters to weigh their handbag, with many being amazed by the startling results.”

The team of experts at the Back Pain Centre, who are trained to locate the cause of back pain and carry out treatment of the spinal joints and muscles to correct the problem, have found that heavy handbags can also damage neck muscles and nerves and are now offering advice to fashion conscious women keen to minimise the negative effects of the current ‘big bag’ trend.

Jason added: “When you put even the lightest load on one shoulder you immediately become asymmetrical and prone to back problems as your spine has to twist and compensate for the imbalance.

“The best way to carry most loads is on your back in a rucksack but there’s little chance of fashionable women going for that, so we advise them to minimise the contents of their handbags and, where possible, carry it across their body like a satchel to distribute the load evenly across the body.

“You should never carry your bag in the crook of your arm, as it’s further away from your centre of gravity and can also cause some real problems.”

The Back Pain Centre offers treatment for all existing back related injuries and complaints, as well as a spinal MOT, which can identify potential back problems and weaknesses before they arise.  Staff also provide a full relaxation and massage service and can advise on posture and lifting techniques.

The results showed that if patients had motivation to get back to work, they returned to their work more quickly than those who were uncertain and had doubts about their work situation.

The moral of this story is that emotional stress be it work, personal life etc will impact on your recovery rate, so keeping positive throughout your course of treatment gives you a better chance of recovering quickly!

So don’t let back or neck pain cause you a problem before, during or after the Great North run.

Good luck!!

Jason & Bronyia