Category: Back Pain

How To Avoid Injury In Your Garden or Yard

There are lots of things to do once the warmer weather arrives, and gardening is one activity many homeowners love. Once spring arrives, it’s natural to want to elevate your garden as this will improve the look of your property.

While gardening can be both therapeutic and fun, it also involves a lot of bending and reaching, and your body may have to move in ways it is not used to. These unfamiliar movement patterns can lead to pain, discomfort, or even injury, so you must take appropriate precautions.

You may be surprised that back pain is one of the most common problems during the spring because of gardening, so it can happen to anyone, regardless of age or experience.

If you get the urge to get your hands dirty come spring, you have to remember the following tips to avoid lower back pain injury:

Do not try to carry one large load of dirt or debris, and try carrying several small loads instead. Not only will this tactic reduce the risk of lower back injury, but it will also prevent you from struggling throughout the process.
Keep heavy loads close to your body when lifting and use a wide support base.
Ask your family members or friends to help because teamwork will not only make gardening easier it will also make it more enjoyable.
Sit on a step stool when doing low-level work as this will limit low back strain.

These simple steps will make a very big difference, so no matter how excited you may be, you need to take the time to do it right; otherwise, you may end up with an injury. Selecting the right tools is equally as important as this, too will help you avoid a lower back injury. Buy a watering can with a long spout, as this will allow you to access your plants more easily without having to hold heavy loads away from your body. The use of knee pads or portable cushions is also highly recommended as these will protect your joints when kneeling. Always stretch before and after gardening and take breaks to ease muscle strain.

You should also be mindful of sunburns, and heat stroke, so use lots of sunscreens and drink plenty of water. Wear a hat to help reduce dehydration and try to garden early in the morning or late in the day if possible.

If you do experience lower back pain as a result of gardening or any other activity, you will have to seek treatment from a reputable physiotherapist—the experts at Apex Physiotherapy & Chiropractic can help! We will provide you with the best treatment, and our techniques, skills and experience will help manage your pain. We provide comprehensive physiotherapy services, including acupuncture. If you are looking for a physiotherapist near you in Pickering or Ajax, contact our clinic today!

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Posture Perfect: How to Correct Your Back Pain

Back pain is very common, and this type of pain can make it very difficult for you to perform your daily tasks. It is an uncomfortable condition that is both frustrating and challenging because it can be very limiting. The good news is that you can eliminate back pain, and chiropractic can help you move comfortably again.

One of the most common causes of back pain is poor posture, so if you slouch while you’re seated or lean forward at your desk, you may suffer from this type of pain. The same is true if you hunch over when you type, so you need to be aware of these actions as most people do them subconsciously without realizing the damage they are doing to their body. Proper posture is very important because it can affect the way your body moves. Regardless of whether you’re sitting, standing, walking, or running, proper posture is a must because it can allow you to move with ease, and you should be able to go about your day comfortably.

It’s common to forget about the way our bodies are positioned, and this is something that happens to all of us, especially when we are so focused on the tasks we are trying to complete. This can result in back pain, so you need to make an effort to maintain proper posture by positioning your body normally. When we feel drained, and our bodies feel tired, we can slouch and droop over because we cannot hold our bodies up. Contrary to what most people think, poor posture is not a result of laziness and is instead related to a physical weakness within our bodies. Our bodies can get tired of holding us up, and when this happens, our posture may suffer.

If you want to regain normal posture, we can help. Chiropractors specialize in movement so they can help you improve your balance, stability, mobility, and flexibility, all of which can result in better posture. They can help you eliminate your back pain, and their techniques and recommendations can have a positive effect on your posture. Orthopedic and functional testing will be a part of your initial evaluation, and this information will help your chiropractor identify the areas of your body that are causing your back pain. Once these details are clear, they will then create a customized treatment plan, which will be tailored to your specific needs, and this will focus on your posture and all the ways it can be improved. This plan can also help increase your strength so that you can achieve all of your physical performance goals. Most importantly, this plan can relieve you of your pain.

The experts at Apex Physiotherapy & Chiropractic can provide you with pain relief and can help you regain proper posture as well. If you’re ready to say goodbye to back pain and want to achieve a perfect posture, give us a call today!

BACK HEALTH AT WORK

Over 80% of the working population will experience low back pain at least once in their lifetime. Many people sit all day at work, often with poor posture, and this can increase the risk of developing low back pain. Sitting down for long periods of time, repetitive movements, and awkward work positions may lead to pain and discomfort. Here are five tips that will make your workstation more comfortable. Maintain Proper Posture The secret to good posture is maintaining the spine’s natural curves. If your spine is not properly aligned, your muscles and ligaments have to work harder to keep you upright. When sitting, make sure that your ears, shoulders, and hips are in line and your buttocks are at the back of the chair. Sit tall with your chest high. Adjust Your Chair Your shoulders and lower back should rest comfortably against the backrest. You may need to use a lumbar support pillow or a rolled-up towel to provide extra support to your lower back. The height and angle of the seat should allow for your thighs to be parallel to the floor with your knees in line with or slightly lower than your hips. Adjust Your Computer Monitor The top line of text on the screen (not the top of the monitor) should be at eye level. This helps to keep your neck in a neutral position while you work. If your monitor is not adjustable, stack books or other materials underneath it to raise it up. Check the Position of Your Keyboard and Mouse Place your keyboard high enough to allow you to rest your arms with your elbows at your sides and your forearms parallel to the floor. If you use a laptop regularly, consider buying an external keyboard so you don’t need to choose between straining your neck to look down at the monitor or straining your arms to reach up to your keyboard. Place your mouse as close to the keyboard as possible to avoid unnecessary reaching. Keep Moving More important than maintaining a “perfect” posture is moving and changing positions. Avoid sitting in one position for longer than 30-50 minutes at a time. Take a quick stretch break or, even better, get up and move around. While sitting, try to change positions periodically.