Yearly Archives: 2012

/2012

Pain-Free Holiday

Holidays are meant to be fun, not a pain in the neck. Over the Christmas holiday period the CAA NT wants you to avoid some of the common travel “bugs” that can spoil a holiday, below are some travel tips to help you avoid irritating your spine over the break. Travelling by car or bus. 1. Take regular stretch breaks at least every 1 - 2 hours. 2. Tuck in your chin & roll your shoulders back every hour to loosen tight muscles. 3. Use a back support behind the back. 4. Sit upright with your head back before setting the position of your mirrors. This will remind you not to slouch. 5. Put your seat upright & ensure your tailbone is as far back in the seat as it can be. Travelling by plane 1. Where possible, sit on the aisle to make it easier to regularly stretch and walk during the flight. 2. Use a back support as with car or bus travel. 3. Be careful lifting suitcases, bend with your knees, not your back. 4. Regularly roll your ankles in circles and point them to flex your feet. 5. Stretch at least every 1 - 2 hours, and always stretch after sleeping. Sleeping in a strange bed 1. Sleep on your back or side as much as possible, avoid sleeping on your stomach. 2. If the bed is ‘saggy’, consider putting the mattress on the floor. 3. Pillows are light, so take a supportive pillow along for your trip. Keep an eye out for my next column about getting a good sleep and good mattress and pillow section. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at the CAA NT.

Drugs not the answer for that pain in the neck

Students all over Australia swotting for their final exams should think twice about taking drugs for neck pain. . . that’s the clear message from a landmark US study* into treatment options for neck pain. Neck pain affects three out of every four people at one stage in their lives, particularly sedentary students doing exams and office workers chained to a desk. In a recent study, research showed that for people with neck pain, chiropractic care had significantly more pain relief than medication. The research also pointed to an in-home exercise program also having greater benefits than medication. The groups were measured for pain at regular intervals over 52 weeks and the study found that “for participants with acute and subacute neck pain” chiropractic adjustment “was more effective than medication in both the short and long term”. The exercise regime was also found to be more beneficial than medication at most time points. We hope as a profession that Australians would use this study to examine their reliance on pain killers. While medication can have a place in pain management, this research shows that gentle, drug-free chiropractic care and exercises can be much more effective in relieving neck pain. There are also well documented side-effects, including gastrointestinal problems which can come from extended use of pain-killers. As a profession it is immensely gratifying to have such results confirmed by independent research. The CAA NT would like to warn people that in most cases neck pain is only a symptom of a neck that has lost function. Treating only the pain can mask problems beneath the surface. The CAA recommends that students and office workers should limit the amount of time they continually sit at a desk, making sure they take regular short breaks to move around and stretch their muscles. An easy three minute daily spinal health exercises for both children and adults can be downloaded from the Association’s website www.straightenupaustralia.com.au *Bronfort G, Evans R et al. (2012) Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise With Advice for Acute and Subacute Neck Pain. Ann Intern Med. 2012;156:1-10.

Kids officially a pain in the neck….and back!

In my August Column to coincide with Seniors Week, I wrote an article about the benefits of Chiropractic care for older people. This month I'd like to expand a little on that demographic. A recent survey conducted by the CAA across Australia found that Chiropractors are increasingly reporting cases of neck and lower back pain as a result of lifestyle activities, including looking after the grandchildren. So It’s official, I can safely conclude that children really are a pain in the neck, as new data from the CAA reveals that babysitting is increasingly becoming one of the main activities to cause spine-related problems in older Australians. According to a recent survey of CAA members, 87 per cent of chiropractors are treating seniors for injuries directly related to lifestyle activities, such as gardening, housework and looking after the grandchildren. And with more parents investing longer hours in the workplace, the demands on seniors and grandparents to handle greater babysitting and lifestyle-related duties will only increase in the future. According to the survey, we are seeing more cases of older patients sustaining injuries while trying to keep up with the pace of their grandchildren. In many cases, these are caused through incorrectly performing physical activities, not doing enough regular exercise, or just plain over doing it. According to the survey, the top three health issues for which senior patients seek chiropractic care are lower back pain (72 per cent), neck pain (40 per cent) and hip pain (20 per cent). When it comes to the problematic lifestyle activities that can trigger spinal distortion, discomfort and pain, ‘grandparenting’ is becoming a newer trend. To help counteract these problems, chiropractors are advising seniors to take up regular walking, balance and fitness exercises, this will in turn reduce risk of injury through falls and everyday wear and tear. In next months column I’ll be discussing a recent study which compared Chiropractic care to medication for the treatment of neck pain.

What’s Your Posture?

In this month’s column I’d like to briefly touch on posture again. I know a lot of people know what they should do but getting people to change their habits requires some repetition. So this month I’d like to repeat my message about posture, which I first touched on in the May edition, during National Spinal Week. The majority of us (even the occasional Chiropractor) suffer from poor posture, with the top five posture sins comprising: slouching, forward pelvis, rotated hips, forward head position and rounded shoulders. Each of these postures put extra pressure on the spine and can lead to a host of problems from tension and soreness to headache, back pain and fatigue. These problems can significantly impact on how a person daily operates, having an adverse effect on their well-being, overall mood and ability to concentrate, study effectively or even work. While poor posture is not a new issue, the widespread prevalence is cause for concern as is the growing increase in posture problems triggered by electronic gadgets. CAA member chiropractors have noted a growing trend in the increase in spinal issues linked to laptops, mouse use, mobile telephones cradled against the head and hours in front of the TV. A marked jump in problems triggered by handheld computer games and MP3 players and excessive mobile phone texting is also becoming a major concern, especially amongst children and teens. To help Australians straighten up, the CAA has just launched a new interactive website, www.whatsyourposture.com.au. The site provides free posture self assessment tools, tips and simple exercises to help Australians counteract the top five posture sins. The good news is that for most people, posture problems can be corrected and sometimes even reversed and at the end of the day, a healthy spine means a healthier life. Stay tuned for more helpful tips in next months column.

Sitting, A Major Risk for Spinal Strain

Sit Right campaign launches Spinal Health Week (21-27 May) In this months column I’d like to focus on ergonomics in the office, in particular sitting posture. The 21st - 27th of May marks the beginning of National Spinal Health Week and this year the Chiropractors Association of Australia (CAA) is warning people to get off their backsides or risk the possibility of spinal damage and developing chronic disease. CAA NT Chiropractors or urging NT residents to “sit right”, an initiative designed to prompt Territorians to prioritise their spinal health and take note of the dangers of the simple act of sitting. In essence what most people don’t realise is that prolonged sitting can have health consequences, as our bodies are designed for movement, not a sedentary lifestyle. Australians are spending more time than ever sitting, this is placing immense pressure on their spines. In fact sitting in a slumped position puts 7 times more pressure on your mid lumbar disc than lying on your back. For optimum spinal health, we need to get out of our chairs more. Have a look at the checklist  below to ensure you maintain good posture and prevent spinal pain,” Keep your hips, elbows and knees at open angles (slightly more than 90 degrees) Use a chair with a low back support and recline slightly to ease lower back pressure Ensure your feet are flat on the floor or on a footrest Factor in short, regular breaks from sitting, to stretch, stand, change or correct your posture, or walk around the office. Spinal Health Week is a great reminder to make an appointment with your local CAA chiropractor, to assess your spinal health and discuss how a more active lifestyle will improve your overall wellbeing. Chiropractors, who are five years university trained, are experts at analysing posture and spinal problems and can provide expert care, exercises and lifestyle advice. For advice on how to Sit Right or to download the free widget, visit www.SitRight.com.au and for a posture assessment, your local CAA chiropractor.

Mining Boom May Lead to Injury Boom

Due to the recent INPEX announcement earlier this year, in this months column I’d like to focus on the mining industry CAA member Chiropractors commonly treat employees of the mining industry for a wide range of spinal complaints. Mine workers often work long shifts, perform physically challenging and repetitive tasks and are therefore at an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury. The hard manual work performed by mine employees often leads to low back pain, whilst employees that operate machinery often suffer mid to upper back and neck injuries as a result of the more stationery nature of their occupation. Other common causes of musculoskeletal pain and injury in the mining industry include overexertion, vehicle jarring and vibration, frequent bending and twisting of the trunk, lifting and falls. These are all frequent causes of musculoskeletal pain that commonly leads people to seek Chiropractic care. In the Territory, even though mining only accounts for 3.08% of all workers compensation claims, ranking it 13th out of the 17 industry groups, it accounts for 10.51% of the money paid in claims by WorkSafe, ranking it 2nd behind the construction industry.1 Chiropractors have a great deal of experience in diagnosing and treating all aspects of work induced injury, however the most important aspects of Chiropractic care is maintenance or wellness care. Once the patients symptoms have resolved, CAANT member Chiropractors commonly provide ongoing maintenance care, including adjustments, stretches, soft tissue work and exercise prescription, this regular “tune up” is popular with workers who want to stay well and prevent injuries from occurring. Mining companies that encourage staff to receive regular chiropractic care will be providing a safer and healthier work environment, reducing absenteeism resulting from injury, and improve the wellbeing and productivity of their workforce.. If you work in the mining industry or have a physically demanding job, contact a local CAA member Chiropractor today. 1. NTWorkSafe. Five year claim and injury data 2005-2009.