As the weather is getting cooler, some of us like to start getting ready to hibernate for the winter months. This month’s newsletter is looking at keeping the spine active.

Wednesday, October 16th is World Spine Day. This year the promotion is to “Get Spine Active”.

Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide, and the most common reason for missing work. Back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office outnumbered only by upper respiratory infections.

It has been estimated that 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some point in their lives.

Most cases of back pain are considered mechanical in origin-meaning they are not caused by a serious condition such as fracture or cancer.

Who gets back pain?

Anyone can get back pain but here are some things that can increase the chance of having back pain:

    • Getting older
    • Poor physical fitness
    • Being overweight
    • Genetics-for certain types of arthritis
    • Your job
    • Smoking-when you smoke, your body has a harder time getting nutrients to the disc in your back. Smoker’s cough may also cause back pain, and smokers are slower to heal so the pain may last longer.

Can back pain be prevented?

With 80% of the population likely to experience back pain at some point in their lives, it is hard to prevent it completely, however, there are things that you can do to help decrease the likely hood of experiencing back pain:

  • Exercise to keep your back muscles strong
  • Maintain a healthy weight, and keep your bones strong by getting enough vitamin D and calcium every day
  • Stand up straight-The Canadian Chiropractic Association launched a Straighten up App on both Android and Apple with 12 exercises for young people and adults
  • Use proper lifting techniques when lifting heavy things

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us by visiting our web site at:

www.drfrederickchiropractic.com

or

Contact us: Phone #: (519) 472-8700 or

Email: drjessalynnfrederick@gmail.com

References:

http://www.acatoday.org/Patients/Health-Wellness-Information/Back-Pain-Facts-and-Statistics)

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