Chart Clinic is supporting BackCare Awareness Week, 6th- 12th October 2014

Back In The Office

This year our focus in on office workers. About 7.6 million working days were lost due to work-related back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders from 2010 to 2011 according to an NHS study.

Back pain is a major cause of workplace absence, costing the UK 35 million working days each year (source: www.ons.gov.uk). It can have a catastrophic effect on people’s ability to perform their normal, daily activities, and that is why this year’s BackCare Awareness Week is focusing on ‘Back in the Office’.

“Back pain can affect you when driving a car, sitting at your desk, or using a computer mouse; or you may find yourself unable to concentrate on tasks because of sleep deprivation” says James Clapham, the owner and founder of Chart Clinic.

 “Osteopaths are well known for treating back pain, using a wide range of gentle manual treatments depending on the patient’s age, fitness and diagnosis. Treatment is different in every individual and sometimes it might involve treating other areas in the body such as the hips or neck. We might offer advice on lifestyle particularly if we feel something the patient is doing repetitively is part of the reason why they have back pain; or give advice on posture, diet and exercise, or suggest specific exercises”.

To help office workers in Reigate and surrounding areas, who suffer back, neck or aches and pains, Chart Clinic Osteopaths are offering a limited number of discounted consultations at £15 to specifically discuss desk work and posture related problems booked during October.

Contact:

01737 248 023

info@chartclinic.co.uk

www.chartclinic.co.uk

Smartphone user? How smart is your posture?

The smartphone is undoubtedly one of the most significant innovations of most recent times, with ever increasing capabilities and ease of use, more and more people are spending time on them. But this is not just limited to smartphones, portable tablets also, allow  users to spend time on them easily whether at home, travelling or commuting to work.

A recent study found that people spending longer on these devices outside of work hours could potentially be putting themselves at risk, this article on the BBC New Website summarises the findings - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18490433

Reproduced with permission from Joseph E. Muscolino, DC. Art work by Giovanni Rimasti. Originally published in the Massage Therapy Journal: Seven Keys to Healthy Neck Posture, 2010

So what can smartphone and tablet users do to avoid the potential pitfalls of using these devices and causing strain on their backs and necks? Well as obvious as it may seem, just watch your posture. Slouching causes undue strain in the neck and back, compound that effect by flexing your neck forward on an already hunched back and you have a pretty disastrous position for you spine.

To avoid placing excessive tension through the muscles in the back of your neck and back, the user can simply bring the device up to eyelevel and support the hand holding the smartphone or tablet with the other arm, the accompanying picture is self explanatory and a useful visual guide to help improve your smartphone posture.

If you are suffering with back and neck pain, try and alter the way you use your smartphone/tablet, how does it feel? Is there less strain in you neck and back? If you would like to know more about how and Osteopath can help you, please feel free to get in contact.