General advice
Prevention is always better than the cure and there are some quite simple measures you can take to prevent damage and injury.
Part of your chiropractic care plan may include advice on the following - exercise, posture, lifestyle change and diet. Your chiropractor will use their experience in making these recommendations.
A part of getting better is up to you, so please follow the advice carefully in order to obtain the maximum benefit from your chiropractic treatment program.
How you can help yourself:
• Keep your appointments: Your chiropractor will make recommendations regarding the frequency of your treatments. This advice is based on experience of treating patients with similar conditions. Missed appointments can result in a less favourable outcome.
• Ask questions: Get involved in your treatment, understanding the need to follow the advice given. This will often lead to better and faster results.
• Do your exercises: Your chiropractor may suggest specific exercises to help speed your recovery. Your exercises can form a very important part of the stabilisation of your condition.
• Get adequate sleep: Easier said than done sometimes but quality sleep is an important aspect of the healing process. Establishing a bedtime routine can help if you fall into a pattern of insomnia.
• Eat a well-balanced diet: Naturally, a good diet is important for the body to be able to function to the best of its ability.
Are you sitting comfortably?
At home, at school or college, at work, or on the move, more and more of us are spending large parts of our day using a computer. Sitting for prolonged periods of time in front of screens can be a major cause of back pain.
Sitting in a static posture can cause increased stress in the back, neck, arms and legs, and can add a tremendous amount of pressure to the back muscles and spinal discs. To help combat this, maintain a better computer posture and protect your back. Sitting badly often affects your body’s ability to deal with stress.
Good posture means your bones are properly aligned and your muscles, joints and ligaments can work as nature intended. Long-term effects of poor posture can affect bodily systems (such as digestion, breathing, muscles, joints and ligaments), a person who has poor posture may often be tired or unable to work efficiently or move properly. Take regular breaks. Never sit at the computer for more than 40 minutes; less if possible.
Computer postureÂ
For further advice on computer posture or to make an appointment at our clinic in Bromsgrove, call: 01527 831 467
Head position
The head should be over the shoulders and in line with the buttocks.
The seat
The seat should tilt forwards and the chair have a rocking action. Adjust seat height so the hip joint is higher than the knee joint.
Foot position
Place one foot in front of the other. Alternate feet position during the day. Movement is essential. Try to move away from the screen every 20 to 40 minutes.
Keyboard position
The middle row of the keyboard should be level with the elbow. If the desk is low use a desk block to raise it.
VDU screen height
The top of the VDU screen should be level with the eyes and not lower than 15 degrees at the base.
Essential adjustments
Always take time to adjust your chair, particularly if you share your computer. Your seat should be adjusted so that your feet are flat on the ground, your knees bent, but with a slope from your hips to the knees.
You should end up with your hips higher than your knees and your eyes level with the top of the computer screen. Relax when sitting into your chair, making sure you have your bottom against the seat back with your shoulder blades touching the chair. Arms should be flat and your elbows level with the desk.
Use a seat with arm rests. When you take a break, walk around and stretch a little.
The right bed can improve your back pain
Chiropractors are often asked for advice on the selection of beds and mattresses and, in truth, there is no one solution that suits all. Choosing the right bed can minimise those factors that may lead to, or aggravate back pain. Research by the British Chiropractic Association in 2011 showed that of those experiencing back pain, 41% of women and 36% of men said that their pain could be brought on by a night’s so-called ‘rest’. We come in different weights, shapes and sizes, but have one thing in common; we spend more than a third of our lives in bed, so we should choose our beds carefully. Research demonstrates that disturbed sleep will, in turn, exacerbate the chronic back pain problem. Thus, a vicious cycle develops in which the back pain disrupts sleep and difficulty sleeping makes the back pain worse.
Why is your mattress important?
What you sleep on makes a big difference in the quality of sleep you get every night. A mattress that does not offer enough support for your spine can lead to muscle fatigue and a poor night’s sleep. A good mattress will allow you to maintain the same natural spinal alignment you have when standing. When your body is allowed to rest in its natural position, muscles are relaxed and sleep is more refreshing.
Is my sleeping position important?
Absolutely! Sleeping on your side, with the knees bent or with a pillow between your knees is the best way to maintain proper body posture. If you must sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to support the normal curve of the lower back. Sleeping on your stomach or with your head elevated on an oversized pillow arches the natural curves of the back, as well as increases pressure on the diaphragm and lungs. These positions can aggravate your back and result in a less refreshing sleep.
Buying a new bed
Do I need a hard or soft mattress?
The best mattress is a ’supportive one‘. A 16 stone person sleeping on a mattress may not get the same support as a 10 stone person sleeping on the same mattress.
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Do I need a new mattress?
Are you and your partner getting a comfortable night's sleep? If the answer is no, your bed may be the problem. Can you feel the springs through the mattress? If the answer is yes, it is definitely time to buy a new one.
Is the bed more than 10 years old? If the answer is yes, consider purchasing a new one. Beds wear out and may sag or lose support with time.
What about my partner?
Always shop with your partner as your respective ideal mattress tensions could be very different. If this is the case, buy beds from a range that allow two single mattresses to be zipped together, so that you both get the support you need.
Don't overdo it with the trowel!
We love our gardens and spend a considerable amount of time and effort on them. As we rush, there is a risk that we may injure ourselves. What we want is to be fit and healthy enough to actually enjoy sitting in the garden and enjoy the fruits of our labours come summer time. Here is some helpful advice on how to help keep you injury free.
Gardening posture top tips
1: When planning a trip to the local DIY store to buy heavy items such as cement or gravel, buy smaller bags rather than one big bag as they are easier and safer to carry.
2: When you do buy heavy items, use a trolley and if on your own, ask an assistant at the store to help you.
3: When buying items like compost, sand or gravel in bulkier amounts, shovel the contents of the large bags straight into smaller containers or wheelbarrow from the back of the car.
4: Don’t lift with your arms straight out, keep the elbows bent and to your side to minimise the stress on your back. Bring the item close to your body.
5: When having items delivered, have them unloaded as close to where you need them as possible; this will save the effort of moving them again.
6: 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.
Things to consider:
Driving posture tips
• Relax - A relaxed driving position reduces stress on the spine, allowing your seat to take your weight.
• Take regular breaks - The BCA advises that you should stop and stretch your legs (and arms!) at least every two hours, more often if possible. You should certainly stop more frequently if you are feeling any discomfort.
• Clench your cheeks - If you are stuck in traffic, exercise in your seat. Try buttock clenches, side bends, seat braces (pushing your hands into the steering wheel and your back into the seat – tensing and relaxing) as well as shoulder shrugs and circles.
• Leave the tight clothes at home - They will restrict your movement. It’s all in the timing - allow plenty of time for journeys to avoid stress.
Footwear
Once you have adjusted your seat correctly, your feet should fall naturally onto the pedals. You should be able to press the pedals to the floor by mainly moving your ankle and only using your leg a little.
Avoid wearing wear high heels, or very thick-soled shoes, as you will have to over-extend the ankle in order to put pressure on the pedals. As well as making it much harder to deal with an emergency stop, this position will raise your thigh from the seat (reducing support to your leg) and create tension (and possibly cramp) in the calf. This, in turn, will impair the blood flow on a long journey.
Things to consider:
Make your journey more comfortable with our driving posture tips. Call for advice: 01527 831 467
Make adjustments:
If you share a car, make sure the seat position is adjusted to suit you each time you get in.
The back of the seat should be set slightly backwards, so that it feels natural and your elbows should be at a comfortable and relaxed angle for driving.
Mirrors:
Set your mirror positions to suit you before you drive off. Your reactions must be quick, so you should not need to move your head a lot. The mirror positions should allow you to see all around the car with the movement of your eyes with minimal head movement.
Steering wheel:
Once you have adjusted your seat correctly, your hands should fall naturally on the steering wheel, with just a slight bend in the arms. If the wheel is too high and far away, tension will build up in your shoulders and upper back. If it is too low and close to you, the wheel may be touching your legs, which will reduce your ability to turn it freely, putting strain on the wrists and the muscles of the upper back.
Airbag safety:
Once you have adjusted your seat and steering wheel, ensure that the adjustments allow for the recommended ten inch (25.5cm) distance between yourself and the airbag cover in your steering wheel.
Seatbelts:
Your seatbelt should always lie across the top of your shoulder and never rub against your neck or fall onto the top of your arm. Depending on your height, you may need to adjust the position at which the seat belt emerges from the body of the car. If the adjustments available are insufficient, it is possible to purchase clips that help you adjust your seat belt height without impairing safety.
Protect your back when lifting
Have you checked the object before you try to lift it? Our bodies are very well adapted to a variety of tasks, but we need to be careful not to take advantage of this and push our bodies to breaking point! Test every load before you lift by pushing the object with your hand or feet to see how easily it moves.
Putting babies in the car
1. Hold the baby close to you as you move towards the vehicle.
2. Keep your back straight and only bend your knees when you have got as close to the car seat as possible. Only at this stage should you reach out to put the baby in the seat.
3. When carrying the baby in a chair, rest the chair on the edge of the car seat, then manoeuvre it into position within the car. Keep your knees bent and back straight.
4. Don’t try to reach out too early and avoid bending from the waist.
How to avoid injury?
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Face the direction in which you want to carry the weight. Lift using a relaxed, straight back. Make sure your legs are at least your ‘hips’ width apart with the knees bent. Keep your head and shoulders directly above your waist. Keep the weight you are carrying as close to you as possible – avoid twisting.
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Avoid bending from the waist, this increases the stress on your lower back. Never keep the knees straight, as this will lead to over-stretching and damage to your back. Never lift while twisting from the waist.
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Lift with a stable ‘broad base’ i.e. your feet about shoulder width apart. Keep your back straight.
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Don’t lift with your arms straight out, keep the elbows bent and to your side to reduce the stress on your back.
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Balance and secure the weight before you start moving.
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Use slow and smooth movements whenever lifting.
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Putting the weight down on the floor can often cause injuries. When possible, put the weight on something waist height rather than the floor. If you do have to put it on the floor, try and keep your shoulders hips and knees pointing in the same direction, have a ‘wide base’ and bend your knees rather than your back.
Loading and unloading
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Loading a weight into a car or van is difficult at the best of times, so it is even more important to use the best technique possible. If you have been sitting in the car/van for a while, go for a short walk to loosen your muscles and joints before lifting.
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Having lifted the weight, rest it on the bumper where possible and then push it into the vehicle, keeping your back straight and your knees bent. Always put lighter objects in first, pushing towards the back, so that it is not too strenuous to push them in or to pull them out when you reach your destination.
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It is not just the weight, but the size and shape of an object that can make it hard to carry so, where possible, break loads into smaller and more manageable chunks.
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Never lift and then twist and avoid the temptation to straighten your legs. This is just as important when taking bags or boxes out of the vehicle.
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Don’t try and lift more than one or two carrier bags out at a time, especially if you’ve had a bad back in the past.