Tag Archives: posture

Mar 27

Prevent back pain in the garden this Spring

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Prevent back pain in the garden this spring by Olivia O Leary D.C BSc Hons Chiropractic

If you are like many of our clients at Gorey Family Chiropractic you may have been trying to get out after the winter to start the spring planting, cut the grass or tidy up after a long winter.

Now that SpringPrevent back pain sunshine has finally arrived in Wexford here are a few tips from our chiropractors at Gorey Family Chiropractic to help make your spring gardening and DIY safe, healthy and enjoyable. However if like some people you are office or car bound by week and therefore a bit of a  weekend warrior type a few precautions to avoid back pain or other injury may be helpful!

I have noticed here in practice that a long winter restricts some client’s physical activity levels often leading to spinal stiffness and lack of physical condition. This lack of exercise can lead to our back’s, hips and muscles becoming stiff and weaker over the winter. So if you also sit at a desk all week and then attack some vigorous gardening all in the one go, it may unfortunately become a a recipe for disaster!

We can end up using muscles and joints and neural pathways that have barely moved all week and are not used to extended periods of physical activity. Another common problem of  trying to do everything all at once also may leave you exhausted, sore and fed up. There’s a better way!

Give these handy back friendly tips a try:

1.     MPrevent back pain in the Garden with Gorey Family Chiropractorake sure you have all the correct tools and equipment you need before you start. This makes sure you are adequately equipped and avoids unnecessary back or muscle strain due to lack of correct equipment for the task in hand just when you are in the middle of something.

 

2.     Do some stretching or warming up before you begin. This may seem silly but it gets your muscles and joints moving and prepares them for the activities to follow. It’s a well known fact that stretching helps flexibility and helps prevent injury so take a little time to give your body a chance to warm up.

3.    If yoPrevent back pain in the garden this springu are tackling a big job break it down. Make sure you allow yourself time for regular breaks every half hour to hour which is particularly important also with tasks that are repetitive like weeding hoeing. Back pain is often triggered by repetitive hoeing or weeding without a taking a break. A break may be 2 or 3 minutes to sit down or to do some stretching if you feel stiff.

 

4. Using the right moves can go along way to enabling you to plant and rake without the ache. Positioning your body correctly reduces strain on muscles and joints. Remember to keep you back straight and bend your knees. When weeding try to use a mat to ease knee joint pressure.

5.    Drink plenty of water.  Keeping hydrated helps muscles, joints, nerves and our brains to keep functioning well.
6.    Get help. For bigger jobs or those involving heavy lifting make sure you have some help to avoid back pain.  Having help makes lifting safer for your back and quicker to complete the bigger tasks.
7.    Actions such as digging, raking and sweeping which involve bending and twisting at the same time can place a lot of pressure on the joints muscles and discs of the lower back. If there is already some instability in these structures it can increase your risk of damage, so be extra careful with these movements.
8.    Think about your Maintenance! Come in and get your spine , muscles and nerve function checked and treated if necessary by our Gorey Family Chiropractic team BEFORE beginning your next project to help your  stability, function and strength and decrease your chances of back pain or other aches and pains.

GOREY FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC: SUPPORTING YOUR RECOVERY, MAINTAINING RECOVERY AND PREVENTING INJURY

Our specialist Chiropractic team are trained and hold extensive experience both in Ireland and the U.K  in the diagnosis and treatment of back pain, neck pain, nerve and disc disorders as well as treating and managing sports injuries and conditions like osteoarthritis.

On site x ray is offered and for your convenience all of our Gorey Family Chiropractic team are registered with VHI, Glo, Aviva and Laya Healthcare allowing clients claim reimbursement from a wide range of private healthcare Insurance providers including the GAA Scheme.

For further information contact info@chiropractor.ie or call 053 94 83338.

Aug 28

Back to School with Gorey Family Chiropractic Clinic

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BY YVONNE GALLAGHER D.C. MSC HONS CHIROPRACTIC

Make Walking To School a Habit!

To coincide with National Walk to School Week and most importantly the return of primary and secondary children to School this week in Ireland the United Chiropractic Association of which Gorey Family Chiropractic Clinic are members are encouraging families to improve their health and well-being and introduce more walking into the daily lifestyle of their children.

Back to School with Gorey Family Chiropractic Clinic

The Facts

Did you know that the number of children traveling to school by car has doubled over the past 20 years[1] and it is not only harmful to the environment but also to your pocket with the annual average costs for a school run topping €505 [2].

Exercise is an effective and important tool for ensuring the future health of our children. Obesity is now the second largest cause of death[3] and in a recent test carried out on children, it was seen on average that children who walked to and from school used more calories than a 2 hour PE lesson.[4] 9 out of 10 teachers believe that walking to school makes children brighter, more alert and ready for the first class of the day.

Walking is a terrific form of exercise that strengthens your body and helps to position the spine in the natural shape it was designed for – being upright. Regular walking helps to build up core strength and allows you to breathe better and as a result reduces fatigue and minimises other side-effects associated with bad posture.

As Chiropractors we are strongly committed to keeping future generations moving, and are trained professionals who realise the difference that simple, healthy lifestyle modifications such as walking to school or work can have on an individual’s health.

Here are some of our top tips and reasons to make walking to school become a habit!

  • Walking with your child is a great time to spend quality time with them and talk about things you don’t always have time for. It will also give you opportunity to meet other parents and children
  • If your child walks without you then ensure they are familiar with the route and have road safety awareness. (The U.K charity, Living Streets, warns that parents who try to keep their children safe by driving them to school are depriving them of the opportunity to learn road sense, putting them at greater risk when they do start traveling to school independently).
  • Check out if your school has a ‘walking bus’ where groups of children are chaperoned by a few adults on the journey to and from school with pick up and drop off points rather like a bus service.
  • Make sure your child’s backpack is not too heavy, that it is worn on both shoulders and that the weight is distributed evenly as this can cause back ache and postural problems.
  • Ensure your child’s footwear is comfortable and appropriate for walking.
  • If you do live quite far from school why not try and park further away and walk the difference – 10 to 15 minutes exercise can help your child keep in shape and keep extra pounds off.
  • Think of the environment and the money you could be saving as well as avoiding stress from the traffic and parking.

Last year over in the U.K over one million children in over 4000 schools ditched the school run as part of Walk to School Week, let’s make the numbers even greater this year!

Gorey Family Chiropractic Clinic News

If you as a parent this September are concerned about your child’s

  • Posture
  • Complaints concerning Low Back or Neck Pain
  • Headaches
  • Spinal Alignment / Curvature of the spine

We offer a special promotional rates of assessment for Children where we can offer appropriate advice and full evaluation of conditions whether big or small to start the school year off in a healthy way.

Call 053 94 83338 for further information and in the meantime ….where feasible

Make Walking to Your School a Healthy habit!

References:

[1]Dept for Road Transport

[2]Figure is based on approved mileage rates from Revenue Commissioners

[3]World Health Organisation 2001

[4]Study by Roger L Mackett of the Centre for Transport Studies, University College London