In the last few years, bags have become ever more voluminous, and as women have fallen sway to their chunky charms, they have filled them up with necessities. These days many women are as burdened as mail carriers.

近年來，包包愈來愈大，當女人被它們厚實龐大的魅力征服後，她們就在裡面裝滿各種生活必需品。這些日子以來，很多女人的負擔幾乎和郵差一樣沈重。

As a result, reports of shoulder soreness and stiff necks are on the rise and doctors, massage therapists and chiropractors are tailoring treatments for the bag-obsessed.

結果，肩膀疼痛和脖子僵硬的報告愈來愈多，醫師、按摩治療師和脊骨推拿醫師（香港簡稱脊醫或手療師）開始為大包包迷量身訂製各種療程。

"In the last year or so, I've been seeing the same kinds of issues with adult women that I'm used to seeing with kids who carry heavy backpacks on one shoulder," said Karen Erickson, a chiropractor who has a private practice on the Upper West Side, and also serves as a spokeswoman for the American Chiropractic Association. "They're experiencing neck pain — not just while they're carrying their purses, but all the time. A lot of women even get bad headaches."

在紐約上西城開一家私人診所的脊骨推拿醫師凱倫．艾利克森說：「近一年來，我發現過去單肩揹沈重背包的孩童所出現的問題，如今竟出現在成年熟女身上。她們頸脖酸痛，而且不只揹背包時如此，幾乎無時無刻不痛，很多女人甚至頭痛欲裂。」艾利克森也是美國脊骨推拿醫師學會女發言人。

"Lately, when a patient comes in complaining of these symptoms, I walk over and pick up her purse," she added. "Without fail, it weighs a ton."

她又說：「最近，每當患者抱怨有上述症狀，我就走過去 ，拿起她的包包，結果十之八九都有一噸重。」

For the past several months, Robin Ehrlich, the director of the Eastside Massage Therapy Center on the Upper East Side, has observed clients old and new staggering under the weight of huge purses and griping about neck pain. "It's an epidemic," Ms. Ehrlich said. "We're busier than ever before right now and big bags are the reason."

過去幾個月來，上東城東方按摩治療中心主任羅蘋．厄利發現，不管老客人和新客人都在超大包包的沈重壓力下步履搖晃欲倒，同時頻頻抱怨頸痛。厄利說：「這儼然已成流行病，我們從來沒有像現在這麼忙過，始作俑者就是大包包。」

A common side effect is that one shoulder becomes slightly higher than the other, she said. "A lot of women talk on their cellphones while they're carrying these bags, which only intensifies the problem, because in addition to balancing too much weight on one side, they're lifting the shoulder at the same time."

她指出，共同的副作用是一邊肩膀比另一邊略高，「很多女人揹這些大包包時還在打手機，這只會使病情加重，因為除了一邊肩膀負擔太沈重，她們同時要抬高另一側肩膀。」

Ms. Ehrlich recommends weekly massages for the pain. Gentle stretching and warm baths with Epsom salts can help bag abusers, too, she said. But she would never tell a client to ditch her Mulberry Elgin tote.

厄利建議每周按摩來紓解疼痛。她並表示，輕輕推拿，再用瀉鹽泡溫水浴，對被包包虐害的患者也大有助益，但她絕不會告訴客人丟棄【英國名牌】Mulberry Elgin超大女用包包。

On this point, the experts tend to agree. Marta Callotta, a chiropractor in Long Beach, Calif., said that she advises patients to clean out their purses once a week, and to use all the pockets so that the weight is dispensed evenly within the bag.

在這一點上，專家大抵意見一致。加州長灘脊骨推拿醫師瑪塔．卡洛塔說，她會勸病人每周清一次包包，並盡量使用所有口袋，使包包裡面的重量平均分布。

"For a year patients have been coming in to me with these giant purses and complaints of soreness. This will keep happening until the trend dies down."she said.

她說：「一年來，患者來看門診時都帶著這些超大包包，同時喊痛，恐怕得等大包包褪流行，這種現象才不至於再發生。」

Dr. David Golden, an orthopedic surgeon who practices sports medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, Calif., said the effects of carrying a heavy purse are similar to those of exercising too strenuously. "The good news is, the pain will be temporary," he said. "You usually need to carry 50 pounds or more to cause lasting back damage."

加州比佛利山西達市─西奈醫學中心運動醫學科整形外科醫師高登說，揹沈重的包包，其後果就和太使力運動所造成的傷害相同。他說：「好消息是，這種疼痛很短暫，通常要帶超過50磅重的東西，才會造成長期背痛。」

Dr. Golden added, "As with an overly taxing workout, you can strain the muscles and induce joint pain if your bag is too heavy." He recommended taking an anti-inflammatory, resting the injured muscles, and then starting over with a very light bag, "making sure you employ the correct form." That means keeping the bulk of the purse toward the center of the body. The strap should rest close to the neck.

高登又說：「一如過度健身，如果包包太重，可能拉傷肌肉，引起關節疼痛。」他建議服用消炎藥，讓受傷的肌肉休息，然後改揹很輕的包包，「揹的方式還要正確。」也就是把包包大部分重量移到身體中央部位，背帶則應盡量靠近脖子。

"I've suffered major back, neck and shoulder pain from carrying heavy bags," said Kimberly Whalen, 37, a literary agent in New York who recently bought the ubiquitous black Chanel carryall, which more than one fashion Web site has compared to a trash bag. "I've even had M.R.I.'s and cortisone treatments to help alleviate the problem."

紐約37歲的文學經紀金柏莉．華倫最近剛買了香奈兒幾乎無所不在的黑色大袋子， 這款包包，不只一個時尚網站指它像垃圾袋，她說：「我揹了超重的包包後，頸背和肩膀都很痛。我甚至還做核磁共振攝影及皮質醇治療來減輕疼痛。」

Dr. Erickson, the chiropractor in Manhattan, said there are ways to minimize the damage. Instead of always carrying a bag on the same side, women should switch back and forth. Because many women have a habit of unconsciously lifting the shoulder that has the purse on it to keep the straps from slipping, she suggests making an effort to square your shoulders. Or carry the bag in front of you.

曼哈坦脊骨推拿醫師艾利克森說，有幾種方法可以將傷害減到最低。女性不要老把包包揹同一邊，而應常常換邊。為了怕背帶滑下來，很多婦女常不自覺抬高揹背包那側肩膀，她建議要盡量維持兩側肩膀平衡，或者乾脆把包包揹在前面。

The American Chiropractic Association recommends that a handbag weigh no more than 10 percent of its owner's body weight. Given that so many slim women seem to be in violation of this guide, it raises the question: What exactly are they carrying in there

美國脊骨推拿醫師學會則建議，手提包的重量不要超過身體重量的十分之一，由於很多瘦削的女人違反這項原則，使人不禁要問：她們到底在包包裡放了什麼？

"The bigger the bag, the more I seem to need to bring with me," said Gloria Dawson, a 25-year-old photo editor in New York. "I carry an iPod, a book, a backup magazine in case the book doesn't go over well, makeup, a phone, my wallet, extra shoes and workout clothes, most of which I won't even need, but it's nice to know that it's there."

紐約25歲的攝影編輯葛洛莉亞．道森說：「包包愈大，我好像愈塞愈多。我在袋子裡放了一個iPod、一本書、一本雜誌，以免書不好看可以當備胎、化妝品、小皮夾、一雙鞋、健身衣，其中大部分我甚至根本用不上，但知道它們在那裡就很爽。」

《詞解》
chunky charms 龐大厚實的魅力
shoulder soreness 肩痛
stiff necks 脖子僵硬
massage therapists 按摩治療師
chiropractors 脊骨推拿醫師
tailoring 量身訂製
staggering 步履搖晃欲倒
Epsom salts 瀉鹽
the trend dies down 褪流行
anti-inflammatory 消炎藥
loyal fans 死忠粉絲
M.R.I.'s 核磁共振攝影
cortisone 皮質醇
revolving doors 旋轉門