Working With A Broken Back Is Not Part Of The Job!
Being a Tradesman is a tough gig making it ideal for the body to function at its best during strenuous work hours. It has been estimated that at least 1 in 4 people working in an intensive job suffer from the common neck or back pains.
Some Common Problems Tradesman Experience Include:
- Neck and Upper Back Discomfort/Pain
- Low Back Discomfort/Pain
- Muscle Stiffness and Tension
- Disc Bulges or Herniations
- Sciatic Pain
- Sprains
- Strains
Causes Of Common Problems Tradesman Experience Include:
Because of the amount of stress put onto the body from either lifting or straining in certain positions on the job site as a Tradesman it is ideal to know about the triggers beforehand to help minimise these common issues from occurring to you!
Some Of These Issues Include:
- Overuse of certain areas of the body (Shoulders/Elbows/Knees)
- Poor Posture
- Poor lifting Mechanics
- Operating Heavy Machinery
- Moving Heavy Material
- Moving Into Tight Spaces
- Prolonged Sitting In Awkward Positions
Why Chiropractic Care Is Ideal For Tradies!
Chiropractic Care allows the musculoskeletal system to move more freely and also increase its overall mobility and strength. If a Tradesman is currently suffering from symptoms of either neck or back pain it can be great in not only decreasing pain but also ensuring the body is capable of dealing with the ongoing stressors on the job site!
Some Of The Treatments Offered By Chiropractors Include:
- Manual adjustments
- Low force adjustments / techniques
- Soft tissue techniques
- Ergonomic advice
- Rehabilitation programs
3 Ways Tradies Can Try To Prevent Work Injuries!
Improve Posture
Posture is a clear indicator that tells us exactly how much extra stress the body is under even without strenuous activity. Using our bodies in incorrect ways can cause ongoing issues and chronic conditions to arise long-term. It is common for postural issues to go unnoticed and for this very reason our joints begin to seize up decreasing our overall mobility this increasing areas of degeneration.
Good thing is it is never to late to fix your posture and it can be as simple as adding in chiropractic care into your regime to help decrease the tension throughout those stressed out areas of the body!
Correct Form Whilst technique!
Poor lifting form is one of the easiest ways of ruining your back. It is important that the body moves together in a sequence so that the joints within the spine are able to stabilise themselves whilst going from a downlow position to upright. This makes it obvious that we want all of our joints to get behind the lifting including or muscles. To ensure this happens we should aim to lift as close as possible to the body whilst having both feet shoulder width apart lifting as much weight with our legs.
Stretching & Mobility Exercises
The work that most tradies undertake is usually strenuous and therefore stretching before and after work can help decrease the chances of injury.
Some of the most common stretches and mobility exercises include:
Teres Minor/Major Stretch (Lat Stretch)
Procedure: (2 variations)
- (Standing/Seated Ver.1) Move the arm (side needed to be stretched) underneath your opposite armpit
- Pull with your other hand from the elbow directly outwards
- (Standing/Seated Ver.2) Move your arm over your head (scratch your back)
- With the other arm pull your arm to the opposite side (holding just below the elbow)
Cat-cow
The exercise above is great for releasing tension within the upper and lower back. The main goal is to stretch and remobilise areas of restriction whilst also relaxing the body.
To perform this exercise:
- Position yourself on all 4’s
- The Goal is to arch your back hold the position up to 5 secs with a deep long breath in
- Once completed bring your stomach towards the ground out of the arched position and slowly breath out
Recommended Tasks:
- Repeat 10 – 15 times
- Perform the exercise 3 times.
- Rest for 15-30 seconds between exercises.
- Complete this exercise twice per day.
Special Instructions:
• Take the muscle to a point of gentle and comfortable pulling
• If you feel increasing tightness, discomfort or pain, ease off the stretch until you find a point your muscle can relax
• Breathe normally throughout, focusing on relaxation
Lumbopelvic Mobilization – Supine Knee to Chest
Procedure:
- Lay on your back (both hips flexed, with feet under knees)
- Gently bring one knee to your chest(using your arms for assistance)
- Return to the start position and repeat on the other leg.
Upper Trap Stretch (Neck muscles)
Procedure:
- (Seated) Reach one hand down by your side to hold onto the edge of the chair (or sit on your hand).
- With the other hand, pull your head forwards and across to the armpit – “ear to armpit”.
*Note: If you are suffering from severe neck pain, headaches or migraines and need more than just a good stretch our team of practitioners are always happy to help and bookings are available online 7 days a week!
https://themelbournechiropractor.com.au/book-now
