Consumer research undertaken by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) earlier this year revealed that many men will start to experience back pain at around 37!
The BCA findings have also found that 82% of men in the UK expressed that they have or have suffered back and neck pain. This number has risen from 75% a year ago.*
Almost half (47%)of men claimed that moving heavy objects is a top trigger for causing back and neck pain, 41% admitted they do nothing to proactively care for their backs.
The impact of back and neck pain
As an experienced team of chiropractors in Southend, we see first-hand the impact that back and neck pain has on our patients’ lives. It can be significant from affecting their ability to work, lifestyle and overall health
How can you protect your back and neck?
We are passionate about helping people be pain free here at Cliffs Chiropractor Southend and we have included basic advice to help you keep your back and neck safe when performing the most common problematic activities.
Lifting & Lowering:
When lifting a heavy object, or even your kids, remember to bend your knees. Avoid bending from your waist as this increases the stress on your lower back.
Putting an object down can often lead to as many problems as lifting. Whenever possible put objects down onto a surface at waist height rather than on the floor.
Carrying:
To reduce the strain on your back and neck keep objects you are carrying as close to your body as possible.
Sitting:
Whether you’re sitting on the sofa watching TV, using your laptop or sitting at your desk, being mindful of the way you’re sitting is really important. Always make sure you are sitting comfortably with good back support at the base of the chair. Check your head position – your head needs to be directly over your body to reduce the strain on your neck and back.
Finally, it is important to keep active. Move around and changing position every 20 to 30 minutes. Taking regular exercise can be beneficial but you want to be mindful of the exercise you are taking and ease yourself in gradually to any new form of activity. Remember that high endurance based activities can put your body under huge amounts of stress.
If you are suffering from back or neck pain or if you have any other concerns please get in touch with us as we offer a lot of help and advice to get you back up and running as soon as possible. You can contact us at Cliffs Chiropractor Southend on 01702 430430.
* Consumer research conducted 07.01.2015 to 20.01.2015 on behalf of the British Chiropractic Association (BCA). Sample – 2,127 UK adults of which 908 were men between the ages of 16 and 55+. 2014 figure taken from the BCA’s 2014 consumer research of a sample of 956 men.