Alright guys, who has been sitting with a phone book under one cheek for the last several years? If you are like a lot of guys I know out there who have, you may be experiencing some lower back pain and don’t know why. It’s time to downsize that bad boy and get your back into better alignment.

Sitting on your wallet for years at a time is a sure fire way to get your hips and lower back out of whack. Think about sitting on an uneven surface with one hip higher, hour after hour, day after day, and year after year. Over time this will chronically shorten one side of your body and one side of the pelvis can become “stuck” in an elevated position. This can lead to big problems down the road if it’s not addressed.

Follow these tips to get your back into better alignment.

  1. Downsize your wallet. Come on guys, clean that thing out at least once a month. You don’t need that cosco membership card that expired in 1987 anymore. Go through your old cards and coupons and trim the fat. Your back will thank you for it.
  2. Shift your wallet from your back pocket to your front pocket. Try your best not to sit on your wallet while traveling, working at your desk, or sitting around your home. All of these hours will lead to getting your hips and lower back out of alignment. The longer you sit on it, the more crooked you will become over time. Leg length discrepancy due to one hip being higher is one of the most common problems we see, and some are as simple to correct as changing up where you keep your wallet.

 

 

Sitting on a wallet can cause a shift in hip height on one side and leg length discrepancy.

 

 

 

  1. Get moving. Old habits are hard to break. If you realize you have been sitting on your wallet for an extended period of time remove it from your back pocket and get up and move around to get the hips into better alignment.
  2. Minutes here and there add up to big problems. Keep your wallet out of your back pocket even while running short errands in the car, or sitting in waiting rooms. These small chunks of time can add up to chronic changes in hip and lower back anatomy.

If you have nagging back pain and don’t know why, try these tips to help you feel better!

Josh Soper, CSCS