Stating that men in Turkey usually prefer to carry their wallets in their back pockets, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Specialist Dr. Instructor Member Arzu Dinç Yavaş said that wallets carried in the back pocket cause spinal curvature. Stating that the wallet that is constantly carried in the back pocket causes sitting disorder, Dr. Instructor Member Yavaş said, “This situation causes deep pain, numbness and tingling in the hip and leg at first. If it is not treated and the wallet is still carried in the back pocket, the condition may progress to gait disturbance and spinal curvature. Wallets, which are usually carried in the back pocket, can cause various health problems. Sitting position imbalances occur, especially when sitting for a long time with a wallet in the back pocket. This imbalance is transferred to the spine and muscles. For this reason, with the disorder that occurs in the biomechanical axis, muscle spasms and pains that develop with spasm can be mentioned. Stating that thick wallets carried in the pocket create pressure at the exit point of the area called the sciatic nerve in the hip, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Specialist from IAU VM Medical Park Florya Hospital. Instructor Member Arzu Dinç Yavaş said, “Due to the deep pains in the hips due to this, our patients begin to have difficulty in walking. In fact, if this situation continues for a long time, it causes them to try to walk by throwing the hips out.
THE MOST VOCATIONAL GROUP APPLICABLE TO OUR HOSPITAL: DRIVERS
Stating that generally male patients rarely apply to them with these complaints, Dr. Instructor Member Arzu Dinç Yavaş said, “Especially those who have to sit for a long time experience this problem. Because they are more at risk. Driving is one of the occupations with the highest prevalence of these diseases. Most drivers apply to us. Our patients are often unaware that sitting with a wallet causes their pain. Especially we, doctors, question ‘where do you carry your wallet’. This is how the cause of the pain comes out,” he said.
HOW IS IT TREATED?
Emphasizing that patients can sometimes confuse the pain caused by the wallet with herniated disc, Dr. Instructor Member Yavaş gave the following warnings to patients: “Do not carry a wallet in your pocket, never sit on a hard floor. Because people who sit on hard floors also experience such problems. We recommend some exercises for the hip muscles for treatment. Muscle stretching, strengthening exercises and massaging the area can be done. Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used orally or as a cream to relieve pain and muscle. We also benefit from physical therapy applications. Hot-cold applications to the hips and electrotherapy currents also help us in terms of treatment. If the patient exercises regularly, positive results are usually obtained.
IT CAUSES SCOLIOSA IN YOUTH AND CHILDREN
Dr. Instructor Member Yavaş said, “Also, this situation is not age-specific, it can be seen at any age. Another important point I would like to emphasize is: Balanced sitting is very important in children in the developmental period. Because sitting unbalanced depending on the wallet, imbalances on the sitting surface can cause spinal curvature and scoliosis. That’s why we ask young people to sit with both hips and both legs at equal level.”
