Think of holidays and most people will dream up images of days spent having a good time, perhaps relaxing in the sun or pursuing new interests. But how many people would wish to imagine themselves lying down indoors with back pain?
Unanticipated injury, such as back pain, can spoil a good holiday – don’t let it spoil yours. Aim to reach a good level of fitness before you go away, and when taking part in sports, make sure you know how play them properly.
Whatever physical activities you choose to engage in, bear in mind that a good number of back complaints are offset by failing to warm up properly before exercising.
Different sports have different guidelines as to how you should take care of your back. For example, when swimming it’s important not to try to keep the whole of the head out of the water, as this places considerable strain on the neck and shoulders, which can lead to problems in the lower back
Golf can present its own problems, particularly if the muscles aren’t warmed up before hand in order to cope with the rotation (twisting) of the lower back when swinging the club. Prevent this by practicing stretching and flexibility exercises before playing.
Increasing your water intake could help you lose weight and boost your energy levels. It is also essential for maintaining health and youthful looking skin.
We can often confuse hunger as a sign of dehydration, so get drinking first!
June challenge
Calculate the volume of water you need to drink using this simple calculation and try and stick to it.
Calculate your body weight in pounds
Divide it by two
This is the number of fluid ounces you require
To convert to ml times it by 28.5
e.g. If you weigh 10 stone = 140 lbs
140/2 = 70 fl oz
70 X 28.5 = 1.995ml so about 2 litres a day… easy..
Try and drink most of your water before midday so you are not going to the loo all night.
For further help and information talk to one of our team
The lucky winners of our draw for Chiropractic Awareness Week are the following:
Louise O’Sullivan -ice pack
Emily Connelly – ice pack
Karen Cox – Hot / cold gel pack
Val Sedgley – Wheat wrap
Sandra Hildrew – Cherry hot pack
Rachel French – Sports Tape
XXXXXXX-Sports tape
Claire Turner – Wedge cushion
Becky Morley – Orthopaedic Pillow
PLEASE COLLECT YOUR PRIZE FROM THE CLINIC BEFORE 30th APRIL 2016.
Thank you so much to everyone who liked and shared our posts and making it a successful week, we wish you could all have had prizes.
If you are new to the clinic please take advantage of our FREE advice and posture check sessions- call reception for details.
If you are a member of a group who you think would be interested in one of our team coming and sharing some heath tips with them, then give us a call.
Look out for top tips and podcasts in future posts and check out our website for clinic news and information videos
www.beestonchiropractic.co.uk.
As part of Chiropractic Awareness Week we are urging workers to do more to protect their backs, both in the office and at home. Follow us on Facebook this week to learn more.
Get a chance to win one of these prizes for liking and sharing our page.
Every Face book follower who likes and shares our page will be put into the draw for a prize. You can like and share us every day to get lots of chances to win.
Like and share must be before 12 noon on Saturday 16th April 2016 to qualify.
The results of the draw will be announced on Face book and this web site on Monday 18th April 2016.
Prizes must be collected from the clinic by 12 noon on Saturday 30th April 2016
Winter hibernation is coming to an end and many will be starting to think about Spring gardening jobs. It’s great to get outdoors and blow the cobwebs away but take care of your back with our great advice.
Clothes
Don’t wear clothes that are tight or could constrict your movement.
Warm Up
Gardening is like any other exercise; you need to warm up first. Don’t go straight into the heavy work; start off with lighter jobs as this will lessen the chance of muscle strain.
Take a break
Vary your activity by spending no more than 20-30 minutes on any one thing and make sure you take regular breaks.
Clever spring pruning
Get as close as possible to the things you are pruning and avoid overstretching to reach the area you are dealing with.
Invest in some long handled secateurs to reach plants and bushes that are beyond normal reach.
Plan ahead
If you are planning a trip to the local garden centre store to buy heavy items such as compost, buy smaller bags rather than one big bag as they are easier and safer to carry. Better still, have it delivered direct to your home.
Don’t lift with your arms straight out, keep the elbows bent and to your side to minimise the stress on your back.
If having items delivered, have them unloaded as close to where you need them as possible; this will save the effort of moving them again.
A specialist garden trolley might be worth investing in to move these sorts of materials around, especially if you have lots of patio pots to move around as well.
The shape of a woman’s side profile could be used as an indicator of neck and back problems. According to research from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), the average age where women start to suffer from back or neck pain is 34.
Women whose heads lean forward are most likely to be currently suffering from back or neck pain (58%), followed by those with an arched back (56%).
Women whose heads lean forward are also the most likely to suffer from back or neck pain ‘every day’ (29%). Those with a flat back were the least likely to have experienced pain, with 21 per cent having remained pain-free.*
Although many women would recognise what category they fall into when it comes to the more traditional body shapes, knowing about their side-shapes is important too.
BCA Chiropractor, Tim Hutchful, comments: “Rather than worrying about being an apple or an hourglass, we want people to think about what they look like from the side. Paying closer attention to your body’s side profile can really help to identify back or neck pain triggers.”
What side-shape are you?
• Spoon – flat back, rounded shoulders
• Leaning tower – head leans forward
• Bridge – arched back
• Flat-pack – flat back
With just over 25 per cent of women saying that a bout of back or neck pain can last for one to three days at a time, it is important to pinpoint what can be done to prevent it. Fortunately, making changes to your posture doesn’t call for extreme dieting or exercise programmes.
Tim Hutchful explains: “The perfect posture should give you a neutral side-on appearance, with your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles in line.
“People who want to improve their back and neck pain symptoms through a better posture should try imagining they have a plumb line hanging straight from their ears to ankles – with everything in the middle sitting on the same line.
“One way to do this is to try standing in a relaxed way and then gently contracting the abdominal muscles. When sitting, the gravity line should pass thorough ear, shoulder and hip.”
The BCA has also developed a programme of simple stretches and exercises, designed to improve posture and help prevent back pain by promoting balance, strength and flexibility in the spine. Click here to view.
Research carried out on behalf of the BCA in January 2015.
*Out of all women with an arched back, a flat back, rounded shoulders, or head leaning forwards
