by Olivia O Leary D.C BSc Hons Chiropractic

PREVENTION OF BACK PAIN STARTS HERE;
For patient’s that have just joined us at the Gorey Family Chiropractic you’ll often hear us mention that strengthening your back through exercise is one of the best ways to keep back pain at bay once your problem has been treated.  It can also be very helpful in treating back pain whilst in chiropractic care.

We encourage you to choose a low-impact, gentle exercise that will help strengthen the muscles in your back, without the risk of strain or sudden jolts that might aggravate your existing back pain.  Swimming, yoga and pilates are very good for improving the flexibility and strength of your back.

Stretching is another key way of helping your back.  The best way of maximising the benefits of stretching is to make your specific exercises part of your everyday routine and not just using them as a short term measure whilst you have back pain.

LIFTING
Lifting can also strain  your back and lifting badly can often lead to injury hence a trip to chiropractors ensues.

Follow these simple tips from our chiropractic team to avoid damaging your back:
•    Think before lifting.  Plan your lift.
•    Adopt a stable position.
•    At the start of the lift, slight bending of the back, hips and knees is preferable to fully bending the back or fully bending the hops and knees.
•    Change directions with your feet, not your back, to avoid a twist.
•    When lowering, face the place you have selected and lower the load slowly, bending your knees, never your back and let your legs do the work.

SITTING
Sitting in the wrong position or for too long can cause and can considerably aggravate back pain.
•    Sit up with your back straight and your shoulders down and back, elbows relaxed at your sides. Your buttocks should touch the back of the chair.
•    Don’t sit in one position for long stretches of time.
•    If you drive for a living try to adjust your seating to support your spine and if you have the choice consider the different types of seating within car models some of which vary in quality.

SLEEPING POSITIONS
By changing your sleeping position you can take some of the strain off your back and ease the back pain.  If you sleep on your side, draw your legs up slightly towards your chest and put a pillow between your legs.  If you sleep on your back, placing a pillow under your knees will help maintain the normal curve of your lower back and also help ease back pain.

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.