In today's society, much value is put on the way people look and how they dress. This is not surprising because a person's status is usually equated with their fashion. The belief that the more fashionable a person is, the more he or she earns because designer items are generally very expensive. The Hollywood and MTV fashion mania affirm this notion with celebrities showing off and posing for the cameras wearing designer clothes and shoes. Unfortunately, fashion stylists and designers, in their quest for individualism and unique styles, often create looks that are attractive but neither comfortable nor practical. Women, more than men, are the usual victims of fashion trends. Statistics show that more women are willing to sacrifice comfort for the sake of looking fashionable. This is the problem according to Dr. Jerome McAndrews, the ACA's spokesperson, because tight clothes and high heels disrupt the body's balance and cause muscle strains. Practitioners of chiropractic medicine also agree since most of the complaints of their female patients are not caused by sports but by excessive wearing of uncomfortable clothes and shoes.
A chiropractic fashion no-no that both men and women are guilty of is the use of big bags. Bags that are too heavy disrupt the natural movement of the body especially when slung over one shoulder for long periods of time. Even the simple and seemingly harmless act of putting wallets in the pants' back pockets is also bad. Chiropractic medicine principle states that these can cause undue strain and pressure on the lower back muscles. Chiropractors agree that as important looking fashionable is, the body's health is too big a sacrifice.
Doctors of chiropractic medicine do not want to cramp people's styles, so the ACA offers guidelines to looking fashionable AND comfortable. For women who must wear high heels, they advise bringing and changing into flats in the privacy of their offices or for times that their feet feel tired. Using flats for walking and changing into heels upon reaching the office is also an option. Wearing supportive shoes and more stable heels like stacked heels is also advised since the body won't need to exert as much effort to balance unlike when wearing designer spikes. Too tight clothes are not good because they restrict the natural movement of the body. Instead the ACA advises to wear clothes with some stretch; these will be form-fitting but not restrictive. It is also important to take unnecessary items out of bags to reduce weight. Bringing laptops is not necessary if the office is equipped with computers. However, if big bags are really necessary, it is advised to sling it over the head and across the body so the weight is distributed evenly. If this is not possible, switching shoulders often is the next best option. Taking out wallets and cardholders out of back pockets is advised before sitting for a long time such as in traveling or driving.
Being attuned to the body's responses is very important according to the ACA. It is also one of the most basic principles of chiropractic medicine. One vital aspect of being fashionable and comfortable is maintaining healthy judgement.
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