Spotlight On Spinal Health
October is the month to put a spotlight on spinal health, with World Spine Day on 16 October and Workspace Week from 21-27 October. Collectively, these two events are designed to bring attention to the importance of spinal health, the catastrophic impact back pain can cause and ways in which we can enhance our spinal health. Globally, 540 million people are suffering from lower back pain at any given moment, and in Australia work-related musculoskeletal disorders are the most common workplace injury, accounting for 57% of workers’ compensation claims for serious injuries.
There are steps and actions you can take at home and at work, to enhance your spinal health. They are easy and they are free, and we will cover them below. In addition, we’re always here to support you with your spinal health at Stratford Chiropractic, providing gentle, specific neurologically focused Chiropractic care. We know your body is the best healer you can have, and we’re here to support you on your health journey. If we haven’t seen you lately, make an appointment today.
World Spine Day – 16 October
World Spine Day was created to raise awareness of spinal disorders globally. The focus this year is to empower you to take charge of your spinal health and wellbeing, with the theme of ‘Support Your Spine’. There’s a number of ways you can do this at home and at work, including regular exercise and movement and stretching. Obviously you can tailor the type and intensity of exercise to suit your preferences, anything from gentle walks on the Esplanade, hikes on the Red, Blue, Green or Yellow Arrow, swimming, cycling and more.
Stretching is another easy way to enhance your spinal health and if you aren’t sure where to start, the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) has developed a Straighten Up app that includes a 3-minute program of chiropractor-approved stretches, to help you stay aligned and reduce the risk of spinal issues. Download it for free from the App Store or Google Play.
ACA WorkSpace Week – 21 to 27 October 2024
The ACA’s National WorkSpace week coincides with the National Safe Work Month, and the two can be very closely related. Did you know that in Australia work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are the most common workplace injury, accounting for 57% of workers’ compensation claims for serious injuries, and that 7.3 million Australians suffer from chronic MSDs (ABS National Health Survey June 2024)?
The occupations most at risk of acquiring work-related musculoskeletal disorders include community and personal service workers such as healthcare, aged care, childcare, NDIS and disability service workers. Tradies, labourers, technicians, drivers and machinery operators are also among those with the highest rates of physical work-related injuries, while desk or computer users make up 10% of serious workers’ compensation claims. Prevention is the best protection, and there’s lots of easy ways and activities to help minimise the risk of developing WMSDs. To support you in this, we’re pleased to provide a range of ACA downloadable resources.
- My Healthy Workspace – Stretches To Work Well Anywhere. This is a series of 5 stretches which can be incorporated into your daily life. You can download a poster showing these stretches here.
- Lifting and Bending Well – A wide range of professions and occupations require workers to lift and bend at regular intervals during their workday. If you use incorrect lifting and bending techniques, you may cause damage to your back including to the bones, joints, connective tissue, and muscles or nerves. Prevention is your best protection and this downloadable fact sheet provides information on how to maintain a healthy spine when bending and lifting at work.
- Sitting Well – Lots of people have desk jobs which require you to sit for extended periods of time. In this instance, maintaining good posture is the key to minimise the chance of developing a WMSDs. Download the Sitting Well fact sheet for more information on this.
- Stress and Headaches – Stress can impact your health and wellbeing in many ways and can cause tension headaches. For more information surrounding this, please download the ACA Work Well Anywhere Headache Factsheet. Chiropractic care can provide effective, drug-free pain relief to headache and migraine sufferers, using a range of specialised, non-surgical techniques, and manual manipulations. We refer to it as a ‘healing hands’ approach and provide more information on this on our website.
At Stratford Chiropractic it’s our goal to see our patients happy and thriving. We tailor our treatments to suit your specific needs and deliver optimum outcomes for you. To make an appointment, give us a call on (07) 4055 1667 or book online.