Too many of us ignore problems in our day to day lives. The problems we ignore can range from big too small, from ignoring a problem on your car to ignoring a health problem. Whatever you are ignoring on a daily basis you can almost certainly expect the problem to get worse and cause you issues.
As leading London chiropractors we are concerned that when it comes to ignoring a problem, back pain is up there with the most ignored. New consumer research from the BCA has shown that over 70% of those suffering with back pain have suffered for up to 10 years. What is worse is that the research has shown many of the 70% didn’t do anything about it to take care of their backs.
Is this a big problem?
In short, yes. It seems that a staggeringly high number of us are ignoring back pain and the consequences that come with it. For some people the pain is so bad that is prevents them from working. In fact the BCA has revealed 29% of people they surveyed had been unable to work due to their back pain.
The UK Statistics Authority has also shown the amount of sick days taken due to back pain is over 9.9 million in 2014 alone. This is a big problem and it needs addressing.
How to avoid it and solve it
So what can we do about it? As leading London chiropractors we often advise people on how to beat their back pain and we have just the advice for you below.
However the biggest, single most effective thing we can do is stop ignoring the problem. Once you accept you have a problem you can either fix it or prevent it from getting worse;
- Start by stopping – Stop slouching. It can really cause a lot of back pain. Make sure you keep your back straight and don’t sit or stand in the same position for too long.
- Sit straight and well – Following on from slouching it is important you sit in your chair well. Whether you’re driving, working or relaxing it is important to sit straight and well. Ensure you’re sat with your bottom against the seat back and you’re sat up straight. Also ensure you don’t twist your back, neck and shoulders.
- Get up and loosen up – It is important you don’t sit down all day so every 40 minutes or so just get up and go for a quick walk, make a tea or have a quick chat with a colleague.
- Walk more – We as humans are designed to move around and not just sit down all day, so do it, go for walks more often.
- Stretch – A daily stretch routine can do wonders for not just your back but your whole body.