During the week of 9-15th April chiropractors across the UK will be talking with their patients about their spines and how they can look after their posture better. This year the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) have carried out regional polls to assess how many people suffer from back pain around the UK, the disparities between them and what triggers of back pain are most common.
They found that in the South East 40% of the people are suffering from back pain which is a rise of 8% since last year. They also found that 28% of the incidences were in people under the age of 20.
The Chiropractors at Luck’s Yard focus on helping people of all ages, but they are concerned about the growing number of students with back, neck and shoulder pain.
‘We know they work harder than ever these days with exams and pressure of revision, says Luck’s Yard Clinic chiropractor and owner, Tone Tellefsen Hughes, ‘so we are keen to help them find ways to look after themselves during this really pressured time.’
From the nationwide poll the BCA found that the main causes of back pain were lifting (49%) and carrying heavy objects. As many as 49% said it was due to sitting for long periods of time and 38% of the people blamed it on poor posture.
Tone Tellefsen Hughes says ‘At Luck’s Yard Clinic, Milford, we are on a mission to help people become more aware of how to sit, lift and look after their postures better as we believe education and awareness is key to better manage spine health.
The clinic team have created a free clinic app, called Luck’s Yard Clinic with both exercises for the whole body, but also several films to help people with tips on posture from driving, sitting, sleeping, brushing your teeth and lifting.
The team of five chiropractors Tone, Daniela, Mariana, Jasmine and Nic also offers a chance for people to have a chat about their back at a free 15 minute consultation. This consultation offers the patient a chance to talk about their back problem and for the chiropractor to assess if they might be able to help them.
If you would like to know more about chiropractic you can go to www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk and you can also hear more helpful tips from the president of the British Chiropractic Association on YouTube on https://youtu.be/3gExjUbpeg
You can also get lots of advice from the Luck’s Yard Clinic website where you can find free online courses and even a mindfulness diary, which can help with simple exercises to get moving more and also stress management around exams.
Key messages from the Chiropractic Awareness Campaign:
- Simple exercises such a shoulder shrugging and stretches can help improve your back health. The Luck’s Yard Clinic has a free app with stretches and exercises for the whole body.
- Our bodies are made to move and prolonged periods of sitting in the same position can lead to pain. Incorporating gentle exercises in your routine and moving around at least every 40 minute are important for keeping your muscles active.
- In the office, you should set up your desk to the correct position for you. If you don’t feel comfortable, try adjusting your seat height, or the position of the screen.
- In your car, you should check your seat is in a comfortable position that is not increasing tension on your body on long journeys. Your seat and steering wheel should be adjusted to a comfortable position, your mirrors should allow you to see around the car with minimal head movements, and your seatbelt should sit on your shoulder – not down your arm or on your neck. Remember not to stay in this seated position for long periods of time, and get out of the car and walk around regularly. Whilst in the car, you can practice shoulder shrugs and buttock clenches.
- Warming up and down when you exercise is essential to ensure your joints and muscles are prepared for higher intensity movement, and prevent exercise related injuries, particularly if trying a new skill your body might be unaccustomed to
- When lifting heavy items, remember to bend your knees and keep a straight back to prevent injury. Hold the object as close to your body as possible, and where you can avoid carrying objects which are too heavy to manage alone, ask for help or use the necessary equipment
- Carrying a heavy bag on one arm can put more strain on one side of the body than the other. Any bag that spreads equal weight on both shoulders, such as a backpack, is preferred. Adjust the straps of a bag to keep it as close to the back as possible which ensures weight is evenly distributed across the back.
