As part of National BackCare Awareness Week, St Judes Clinic held a free advice drop-in session at the Community House on the Sandhills Estate in Leighton Buzzard.
Practice principal and physiotherapist, Moira D’Arcy gave residents advice on back and neck pain, Pilates and preventative care.
They also held a quiz and the lucky winner won a massage by one of their chartered physiotherapists. St Judes also offered free personal 10-minute chats to anyone wanting some helpful advice at their clinic in Lake Street.
With nearly half of us suffering from some form of back pain each year it is good to know there are ways we can help ourselves prevent further back and neck problems.
When you do need some expert help physiotherapists are trained in helping back pain sufferers by providing advice and education on suitable exercises, providing treatment for back pain and offering tips on future back pain management.
For more information on St Judes Clinic go to www.stjudesclinic.com.
Top tips for better backs
Think tall: You will naturally help yourself engage your core stability muscles that help protect your spine.
At work: Make sure your chair and desk height is right for you and that the screen height and tilt is correct.
In the car: Your car seat should be in a fairly upright position with good low back support. Consider buying a low back cushion for support. Make sure the head rest is correctly positioned to support the back of your head.
At home: Look at the depth of your sofa. If it is too deep for the length of your thighs or too low for you, then your hips will be lower than your knees when you sit, causing you to flex in your lower back.
Sleeping: Can’t hurt yourself during sleeping? You would be surprised! Mattresses should give you enough support for your curves whilst keeping your spine straight. A mattress that is too hard or too soft a mattress is equally as bad.