paulwwalters

I have scoliosis, and thus far I've only been considering the Chrome messenger backpacks and roll-top packs. Do any of you with scoliosis have messenger bags, and does the single-strap design cause any problems for you? Should I even consider a regular messenger bag?

Catnap 

officially the most obscure question i've seen on these forums so far. ...good luck!

Joetheshmo

well, this depends... have you used single strap bags in the past? like a laptop bag or anything? (for walking around or biking)
if you have had problems with them, then i think i'd stay away from the messenger bags...
plus the roll tops looks TIGHT

paulwwalters

Well, at least it's not one of the "need help with conversion" or "do Toshi double straps with deep v's make my butt look big?" questions.

As for the single straps, I have several single strap laptop bags, but they have leather strap pads and are worn lower (they do cause pain though...). I was thinking the different positioning and foam strap of a messenger bag would make a difference...?

powerband

It depends on how severe your scoliosis is, and how much weight you'll have in the messenger-style bag. If it's mild scoliosis, which almost everyone has, and you don't plan to put an anvil in the bag, then you'll probably be fine. If not, then your back will let you know. But if you're concerned, then get a back-pack-style bag. It's far more comfortable, scoliosis or not.

Gambutrol

I've always been told that I have scoliosis- i mean my spine is a little curvy, but it doesn't really cause me any pain or trouble so maybe it is mild. I have a chrome bag and used to load it full of books or PBR and never had any back problems. The weight rests against your back when you're on the bike and doesn't really cause the vertebrae to compress together from downward pressure (if that makes sense)...hope that helps!

ZeroG

Consider this bag, it's the best bicycle specific backpack I've used:

Crumpler Famous Wine Bar:

paulwwalters

Well I guess I'll end up going with a normal backpack... the extra cost will hopefully contribute extra comfort.
And the crumpler is sweet, I just don't have $180...

SaddleBags

FWIW, my wife has scoliosis and she prefers backpacks.

Jonathanhughes

Go to a upper cervical specific doctor on www.upcspine.com. Duff method, Light toggle recoil, NUCCA, atlas orthogonality, Grostic, hole in one (hio), Blair, Knee chest. What ever is near to you use it. They also have to do x rays o get a three dimentional view of the tilt rotation and how much The atlas has shifted of center from where it should be. The adjustment is very quick and painless. After the adjustment you will more than likely feel pulls and tugs in the back and other things as the spine is shifting around to better alignment. You need to keep your appointments so the doctor can see if the atlas is staying in the right position. Better to be checked before you have symptoms.
Don’t wait for symptoms the body and brain are breaking down in the meantime. The longer the atlas states in the right place the longer the between office visits.
After an adjustment you must not do a lot of heavy work right away.
Allow the body to get used to the new changes that are taking place in your body.
You should have a list of instructions of what to do and not to do for a give time after adjustment.
If the practitioner has an infrared scanner don’t have any stimulants in the body as they can cause an incorrect reading.

roastbeef

my girlfriend has relatively mild scoliosis, but i've never heard he complain about the single strap Patagonia she has. she does ride a beach cruiser though...

markhr

Have scoliosis

I use back packs and don't use messenger bags. That is, so there's equal pressure on both shoulders.

Make sure that your core strength is high so that is stabilises your back, e.g., swiss ball exercises, plank exercises, flutter kicks, etc.

If you can, combine accupuncture with trips to the Osteopath as, for me anyway, this seems to have the longest stabilising effect.

makeitwork

Though single-strap bags might not seem to be having any effect right away, over time they will, especially with scoliosis. I have it, too, and after years of thinking single-strap bags weren't causing any problem -- hauling books and computers -- I can't use them anymore except for very light loads.

You might not develop this problem, but why risk it?

lyledriver

Not really. If you search for scoliosis in this forum, you get 13 other threads besides this one.
But of course, you may not have seen the other ones, joining in June of this year.

Messenger bags do tend to develop asymmetric muscles in the shoulders, which can further aggravate back issues. Stretching helps, as does switching your bag side frequently. ...or, as other posters have answered, get a cycling specific backpack.

Jonathanhughes

There is no need to have scoliosis at all .If people would take my advice and have themselves checked early, Before symptoms of anything develops.

Jonathanhughes

Your scoliosis can be helped .You need to go to an upper cervical specific doctor . Do you understand the advise I gave you? I CAN ASSIST YOU IN UNDERSTANDING IFYOU GIVE ME THE NUMBER OF THE CERVICAL DOCTOR, THEN i COULD QUESTION HIM TO BE SURE YOU DID MAKE A GOOD CHOICE.

Ken Cox

We all have scoliosis, although, we don't know we have it until it gets symptomatic enough that a doctor uses that word to describe our situation to us.

I ride with a right shoulder single-strap bag in summer and a left shoulder single-strap bag in winter.

I think with some types of spine curvatures a single strap bag on the appropriate side might actually have a therapeutic effect.

Hm.

Actually, my so-called "right shoulder single-strap bag" will go over either shoulder; and I could flip-flop it every ride.

A different shoulder on every ride...that sounds nice.

I should try it.

Ken Cox

I just read a review of the Crumpler Famous Wine Bar Bag, and it sounds like a good bag:

https://bikemag.com/gear/accessories/...mous_wine_bar/

Jonathanhughes

Don’t continue to suffer with the scoliosis Go to www.upcspine.com, and find an upper cervical specific care doctor in your state. Everyone needs to be checked by one. Even infants may need an adjustment, because birth can be very traumatic with outside forces being exerted on the head. For older patients it is a quick movement on the side of the neck only , And all the adjustments are painless.Adjustment for infant is also very simple. very Light pressure is applied by the cervical doctor’s thumb on the baby neck. X-rays must be taken for everyone so they can see exactly what they have to do. Scientific instrumentation must also be used to accurately measure the body before and after adjustments. This must also be able to tell the cervical doctor if another adjustment is necessary or not. Adjustments to soon can make the body weaker. A lot of nerves don’t transmit pain to tell you that you have a problem, so everyone should be checked.
Be careful that you are not being treated by a full spine chiropractor, or diversified.

paulwwalters

Thanks I've been to a doctor, he did x-rays and all that, said it was too bad for a brace, not bad enough to warrant surgery, and it's not growing worse.

Also, I bought a Banjo Brothers medium backpack and I LOVE IT. It's 1500 cu in. and holds a ton of stuff.

Nekura

I have rods in my back. Backpack is probably the way to go. Or this:

kemmer

I have scoliosis and it was never really a problem untill recently. It could be coincidence, but about a year after I started using a mess bag, I started experiencing a lot of pain. I quit using the mess bag, made my workstation a little more ergonomic and started swimming and now the pain is mostly gone.

max-a-mill

i bet it was your desk not the bag...

i used to get all kinds of shoulder/back pain till i lowered my chair at the office. sitting hunched over a computer for 8 hours is terrible for your back and shoulders.

now i use a mess bag daily to commute with absolutely no problems.

ianjk

I've suffered from back problems due to Scoliosis for 18 of my 28 years on this planet... (the only thing that helps is exercising a lot and keeping my back in shape by climbing, biking, & hiking).

Tried both backpack and mess. bags with no noticeable difference. For me proper gear ratio and watching my form on hills was the most important thing. If you are really having problems get a rack and pannier(s). I used to run a backpack with a change of clothes and all my books and whatnot in panniers for my super hilly 25 mile a day commute to school.


on a side note: I should have never purchased a trials bike... Thinking of actually selling it because of how much abuse my back takes hoppin' around like a fool.