Yarm Osteopaths and Physiotherapy - Teesside

Managing Back Pain – A guide to everyday back care

Stuart Bentley — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:18:26 +0000

Managing Back Pain – A guide to everyday back care

This information comes from BackCare, the charity for Healthier Backs. For further information, see www.backcare.org.uk

Staying active can help with back pain

Stay active, stay positive and continue your normal lifestyle, including work, as much as possible when you have back pain. This will have a more positive effect on your back than anything else.

Back pain is not like the pain from a burning finger – it rarely means any harm is being done. Even with back pain, you can still be active and even exercise. In fact, appropriate exercise will speed recovery and make you feel better. Exercise releases endorphins, our bodies’ natural pain killers.

Resting in bed is not a treatment for back pain. Bed rest for one or two days may be necessary to cope with severe pain, but bed rest is not good for your back. You don’t have to be pain free to go to work, exercise or do normal activities.

You may have to be off work for a short time, but getting back as soon as possible will make you feel better mentally and speed recovery.

Talk to your supervisor, keep him/her informed, you may need to modify activities temporarily. If you are still off work after a month, you need to plan your return with your doctor and your supervisor. The longer you are off work, the more likely you are to have long term pain and disability.

Exercise and movement for general health and well-being

Your back, like the rest of your body, needs movement and exercise to be strong and healthy. Regular, controlled exercise can help build up your stamina, strength and suppleness as well as ease the pain. Anyone with long term pain should seek advice from his or her GP, osteopath or physiotherapist before taking up a new exercise programme or activity. Remember, you may feel some discomfort, but don’t be put off – it does not mean you are hurting yourself. You are simply using the muscles that haven’t been active for a while.

Exercise is necessary for general health and well-being. It reduces the risk of many serious diseases, improves mood, reduces stress, helps alleviate depression and helps with weight loss.

There are lots of activities to choose from. Walking, swimming (probably not breast stroke) hydrotherapy, Tai Chi, exercises classes, yoga, Pilates, dancing, exercise bike or cycling. If you go to a class, make sure that the teacher knows you have a back problem and that the class is appropriate.

There are lots of ways to be more active during a normal day

Walk rather than take the lift
walk rather than drive the car
walk when on your mobile
don’t use the TV remote
park further away or get off the bus/underground a stop earlier

Short bouts of activity are as effective as one longer session.

Tips for Getting Through the Day – In the Kitchen

Try to raise the washing up bowl on to another washing up bowl so you do not need to stoop. If there is a cupboard under the sink, open the door and rest one foot on the bottom shelf. After a few minutes change to the other foot. This will help you keep the natural curves in your back.
Try sitting when preparing food.
Think about where you store the items you use most, like food, pots and pans and try to keep them within easy reach at waist height.
Never twist and bend at the same time. Always bend your hips and knees, not your back when using an oven or the fridge-freezer.
Try kneeling on a cushion to take washing out of the machine. When hanging it, keep a chair by the line so you can rest the basket on it.

Osteopathy and Physiotherapy can help with back pain

If you require any further information or would like to speak to an Osteopath or Physiotherapist about your back pain, please contact the clinic on

Tel: 01642 788755

email: enquiries@yarmosteopaths.co.uk

Next time, Tips in the Living Room

Musculoskeletal disorders among teachers

Stuart Bentley — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:54:13 +0000

Large classes, lack of resources and limited rewards cause musculoskeletal disorders among teachers

Osteopath Stuart Bentley of the British Osteopathic Association warns of health risks faced by teaching staff. School teachers have a high risk of developing disorders in the neck, back and shoulders according to a study published recently. The report found that stressful working conditions due to large classes, a lack of educational resources, and limited reward for their work was a likely cause of the high prevalence rates of self-reported musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among teachers.

Musculoskeletal disorders

The study compared a variety world-wide research projects into the prevalence of MSD among teaching staff. In terms of physical symptoms it found that nursery school teachers are more likely to be involved in tasks which involve sustained periods of kneeling, stooping, squatting or bending which means they are more likely to suffer from lower back pain. However school teachers are often involved in tasks which mean they spend a significant amount of time in a ‘head down’ posture such as reading, marking of assignments, and writing on a blackboard. Therefore school teachers are more likely to suffer from a wider variety of problems including pain in the back, neck and upper limbs.

Psychosocial factors

“Psychosocial factors have also been positively associated with MSD among school teachers, and the current review suggests that psychosocial factors such as high workload/demands, high perceived stress level, low social support, low job control, low job satisfaction and monotonous work are most likely associated with MSD among school teachers.”(p19) According to data from the Health and Safety Executive over 175 million working days were lost to the UK economy due to sick leave with one in eight patients diagnosed with MSD symptoms such as neck, back and shoulder pain costing the UK economy between £103-129 billion.

Stuart Bentley of the British Osteopathic Association says, “Physical stress imposed on the body by protracted periods of poor posture, sitting on chairs designed for children not adults etc. will produce muscle and joint imbalances, strains and soft tissue stresses which become habitual leading to more chronic recurring pains and episodes of pain. It is the chronic build up of strain and habitual bad posture that leads to many of the problems that osteopaths frequently see related to the teaching profession – particularly towards end of term.

Osteopathy as recommended by NICE guidance for low back pain can have a very beneficial outcome both in the acute period of pain but more importantly, reducing the chronic episode from turning into a chronic condition”.

Further key points from the study:

Gender is an issue. Female teachers are more likely to suffer from musculoskeletal problems than male teachers. Pain felt is likely to be more severe among female teachers than male teachers – particularly when comparing those teaching music. Reduced playing time, having smaller hands and lower strength levels in particular affect music teachers and the likelihood of them developing an MSD.
The study states that “MSD among teachers has been positively associated with female gender in a number of studies. It has been suggested that women might be more likely to report pain than men because women have lower physical strength, pressure from family and career prospects; or simply the fact that men and women have different traditions and thresholds for when and how they report pain.” (p18)
Age also a factor but reports on which age group are most likely to suffer from which problems vary widely according to the country in which the study was conducted.
Length of employment is a factor among secondary school teachers in particular.
Long working hours, of more than 35 or 40 hours per week, have been found to result in low back pain and upper and lower limb pain.

The importance of Ergonomics

Stuart comments, “Ergonomics are important in any occupation and it is interesting to note that health and safety has not actioned research into more practical arrangements for primary school teachers particularly where they rely on sitting with children either on the floor or on child seats.

Some preventative approaches might be breakfast clubs or after school exercise classes aimed at stretch and flex of the spine, neck and shoulders – not for the children but for the teachers” .

About the British Osteopathic Association

The British Osteopathic Association (BOA) is the professional association for osteopaths in the UK, acting as an independent representative body whilst promoting osteopathy to the general public and government. The BOA is committed to supporting, protecting and caring for its members and promoting opportunities for individual and professional development in osteopathic practice. There are nearly 4,000 osteopaths on the UK register who carried out over seven million treatments last year, and many of these are members of the British Osteopathic Association. For more information and to search for an osteopath, visit the website www.osteopathy.org

Musculoskeletal disorders in layman’s terms:

This is the name given to problems affecting the muscles, joints and bones of the body usually causing pain, and restricted movement in the body. It covers all sorts of conditions from frozen shoulder, back pain, arthritis to industrial injuries.

Read the full article

A systematic review of musculoskeletal disorders among school teachers by Patience N Erick and Derek R Smith published on 17 November 2011 can be found here:

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2474/12/260/abstract

Acupuncture Awareness Week

Stuart Bentley — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:28:48 +0000

Acupuncture Awareness Week

Have you ever considered having acupuncture?

If not, why not?

Do you have concerns about the needles?
Unsure which conditions can be treated?
Worried it will be painful?

Now is your chance to have all your questions answered.
The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) is running the first ever national Acupuncture Awareness Week from 27 February to 4 March 2012.

To support this, Total Wellbeing Acupuncture & Holistic Therapies will be running a series of open days and special offers at Yarm Osteopaths.

Come into the clinic to see our displays, ask any questions you have and find our more information about Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.

Discover what happens during a typical acupuncture treatment.
Find out what acupuncture feels like.
What is moxibustion? How can it be used to turn breech babies?
Your chance to see and touch the needles.
How can cupping be used to treat muscle pain?
What are the differences between Traditional Chinese medicine and Western acupuncture?

Book your free mini consultation to find out whether Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture could help you.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a tried and tested healthcare system that has been practised for thousands of years in China and the Far East. Diagnosis in TCM takes into account your current health, signs and symptoms, your medical history from childhood, your diet, lifestyle, activity, and your physical, mental and emotional health.

What does it feel like?

Acupuncture doesn’t hurt. There may be a dull or tingling sensation on the needles, but you should not feel pain. Many people find acupuncture to be extremely relaxing, and often people fall asleep during their treatment.

How big are the needles?

Acupuncture needles are completely different from those used for injections and blood tests. Acupuncture needles are as fine as a hair and can easily be bent in the fingers. Come into the clinic during Acupuncture Awareness Week and see for yourself.

Is acupuncture safe?

There is a substantial body of evidence to support that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment. For more information, please see the factsheets available for different conditions at: http://www.acupuncture.org.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=113&Itemid=106

Acupuncture is extremely safe. Two studies conducted in 2001 to look at the safety of acupuncture show that there were adverse side effects in only 1 in 10,000 treatments. This is very low. Acupuncture is safe for all ages, including pregnant women, babies and children. It integrates very well with Western medicine.

How should I choose an acupuncturist?

Choosing a member of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) as your acupuncturist ensures excellence in education, safe practice and professional conduct. All members of the BAcC have undergone extensive training in Traditional Chinese medicine, anatomy and physiology and Western medicine. This consists of at least 3600 hours of training (3 years full time) at Masters degree level. In addition, members of the BAcC are required to complete Continuing Professional Development every year. By contrast, there are courses available that consist of just 12 days of training or fewer. Students completing these courses are not eligible to become members of the BAcC.

Eleanor Rees trained at the Northern College of Acupuncture in York, and is a member of the BAcC.

To book your free mini consultation during Acupuncture Awareness Week (which includes a discount voucher towards a treatment), please ring reception now on (01642) 7888755.
For more information on Acupuncture Awareness Week: www.introducingacupuncture.co.uk

For more information on Total Wellbeing Acupuncture & Holistic Therapies: www.total-wellbeing.co.uk