Do you spend most of your day sitting, whether it’s at work, in the car, on public transport, or watching TV? Well, you’re not alone. We are a nation of ‘sitters’ and its starting to take its toll on our health.

Priortise your spinal health by sitting less and moving more.

Sit Right, is an initiative to encourage everyone to take note of the potentially dire health consequences from prolonged sitting.

People are spending more time than ever sitting which not only causes spinal damage, but increases the risk of disease and even death. Sit Right focuses on the dangers of long-term sitting, especially for office workers, and offers solutions for common ‘sitting sins.’

So why not improve your health simply by standing up and moving around more? It’s also important you take regular breaks from sitting to stretch, stand, change or correct your posture or walk around your office.

And while you are sitting, here are a few things to remember:

· Keep your hips, elbows and knees at open angles (slightly more than 90 degrees)

· Recline slightly to ease lower back pressure

· Ensure your feet are flat on the floor or on a footrest

· Position the centre of your computer screen at eye level and tilt the monitor upwards slightly

· Only use wrist rests while resting, not while typing

An active spine is a healthy spine and a healthy spine leads to a healthier life.

What does your posture say about you? Click here to find out more >>

Adapted from CAA newsletter article May 2012

Do I have to go to the chiropractor for the rest of my life?

This is a question often asked by patients and those thinking about starting chiropractic care. Many people think that if they go to a chiropractor they will have to go for the rest of their lives.

This is not true. It is entirely up to the patient as to how many visits and how often they attend the chiropractor. The chiropractor may recommend a course of treatment according to your health status at the time of presentation. However any future consultations should only be made with your express permission.

How often you are recommended to consult the chiropractor depends on several factors:

The type of injury you have

How long you have had the condition for

Your health status prior to symptoms

The cause of the condition, for example an acute physical trauma or a chronic sustained injury.

Your lifestyle

Your working conditions

Initially you may need consultations spaced close together to help you get over an acute phase of your condition. As treatment progresses and your body heals it is likely that your consultations will be recommended further apart.

Do I have to keep going once I feel better?

Again this is up to you, the patient. What type of care do you want?

Do you just want relief from your ailment? If you want to stop treatment once you feel better. That is fine. However if you still have the same stresses and strains in your lifestyle that caused the initial problem then it is likely that they condition may return.

Do you want to correct the problem? This type of care typically takes a little longer after you have received relief. This regime often involves retraining the muscles and ligaments surrounding your spine or other joint of your body.

Do you want to preserve the progress you have made?

If you would like to keep your health status stable then it is likely that the chiropractor will recommend a regime of maintenance. This is to help prevent future issues and to detect any areas of dysfunction before they become bigger problems. A bit like have a regular service on your car.

Do you want to prevent future problems from occurring or recurring?

If you would like your health status to be better than when you first started your consultation with your chiropractor then a management plan of wellness may be recommended. This will entail things you can do to help prevent future occurrences and changes to your lifestyle that will help you to achieve your health goals.

Do you want to keep well?

If you want to keep well and to stay healthy then you may want to adopt chiropractic as part of your lifestyle. This is similar to brushing your teeth daily, eating healthily, exercising regular.

You see it is really up to you how often you see the chiropractor.

However how you undertake your care is ultimately up to you.

Make chiropractic a lifestyle choice

During the harshening of water restrictions the incidence of “bucket back” could increase. During harshened water restrictions in South Australia an increase in bucket back was witnessed by South Australian chiropractors in 2007. The problem reached the stage where chiropractors across the state wanted to educate residents on the correct way to lift buckets.

An increasing number of chiropractors across South Australia were seeing a lot of people with

bucket back as buckets were still permitted for gardening meaning that more and more people

were bending over putting their backs at risk. By following the simple guidelines outlined below you may be able to prevent further back ache arising from watering your garden without a hose.

A common gardening bucket holds ten litres, which when filled equates to ten kilograms – a load still too heavy for many people to manage.

Carrying water buckets is an issue not only because of the weight carried, but also because

water is an unstable weight, putting uneven stress on one side of the body.

Gardening already can result in spinal problems including back strain, neck strain and shoulder

pain, and the carrying of heavy buckets further impacts these health risks.

However, the potential risk of bucket back can be greatly reduced by following some simple tips when out in the garden:

• Bend your knees when lifting buckets. Never bend your back

• Only carry what is absolutely necessary – do not overfill your bucket

• Use two smaller buckets (one in each hand) to disperse weight evenly

“It is possible to be environmentally conscious without bending over backwards,” said Dr. Patrick Sim (CAA National Spokesperson)

Adapted from; CAA media release 5th September 2007