Christmas-time is normally quite stressful because of the rush to buy presents, the travel time to get to relative’s homes, the preparation of holiday meals, etc. The following article offers some common-sense, practical suggestions on how to keep from channeling this stress into back pain. After all, Christmas is meant to be a time to enjoy family and friends, good food and happy times. Back pain and Christmas do NOT go together!
The lead-up to Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year because everything hangs on the success of the big day. However the emotional and physical stress we often suffer beforehand can hamper our enjoyment and even cause us pain.
Back Pain and Christmas
Here, osteopath Paul Clusker offers his top Christmas survival tips:
Planning
- A little goes a long way; try to organise so that other people can help you with all the things you need to do.
- In the morning, try to do some squat exercises with your feet flat on the floor (stretching the spinal cord keeps the spinal canal more open).
- At the end of the day lie on the floor and bring your knees gently up to your chest and hold for a few seconds, do this for several repetitions to release any tension you may have in your back.
Shopping
• Think about your footwear before you hit the shops and wear comfortable, supportive shoes.
• Make sure you balance the weight you are carrying and, if necessary, make more than one trip.
• Take regular tea breaks and rest your feet.
• Wrap your presents either sitting at a table or standing at a work surface at waist height, not on the floor. People who sit cross legged and lean forward to wrap presents for hours can become stiff and could suffer from a locked up back.
The big day
• Avoid ‘turkey back’ – when putting a heavy turkey into a low level oven keep your back straight, bend from the knees and stay close to the oven, so you are not over-straining.
• Keep mobile and take some gentle exercise to work off the Christmas feast.
So, do your best to enjoy the Christmas season with as little stress as possible. Stop and take a deep breath occasionally and follow the above tips so that you don’t have to contend with back pain and Christmas at the same time. And have a Happy Holiday!
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Have you ever had a leg cramp in the middle of the night or while on your early morning run? Leg muscle cramps are very painful and usually can be worked out in a matter of minutes. But imagine having a muscle cramp or muscle spasm in the muscles of your back–muscles that are much bigger than leg muscles!