With the advent of Back Care Awareness Week 2024 upon us, I thought it would be useful to provide a blog with better back health tips for my Bristol readers.

Back pain has become a major health issue in the UK. According to recent data back-related issues are estimated to be costing the UK £1.4bn per year in welfare, a 25% increase since before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Better back health is one of my passions as a Bristol osteopath, and I see patients daily who have significant back-related issues that need treatment or even hospital referrals.

Maintaining better back health can be achieved with a mindful and consistent outlook when it comes to taking good care of your back, neck, spine and overall posture.

Better back health can be achieved by following these simple steps:

Better sitting posture

Many of the back issues I see are caused by poor sitting posture, as well as sitting for too long. The body is designed to be mobile and moving, not sedentary for hours on end. We need to sit better but move more.

I developed, designed and launched the ergonomic Z Chair to tackle the problem of poor posture for adults and children alike. It has been sold across Bristol, the UK, Europe and the USA in the last three years.

To find out more about how to improve your posture with my Z Chair and enable better back health rapidly, please visit here.

Move, hydrate and take micro-breaks

Consistent movement helps to reduce back pain and improve overall back health. I advise patients to incorporate movement into their daily routines, whether that is taking a movement break or being more active; gardening, walking, or sport.

Back health can also be improved by remembering to hydrate. The bones, joints, and muscles of the body need water to keep them in good condition.

Taking regular micro-breaks when in a sitting position is vital. People working from home at desks need to be mindful of taking micro-breaks for better back health.

Please visit here to find out more about the amazing benefits of micro-breaks.

Be mindful of injuries

Pre-existing injuries can cause issues if left untreated. This is particularly relevant when it comes to the back, as we rely so heavily on the back for mobility and movement.

I often treat patients with injuries who require rehabilitation treatments. This improves their overall quality of life, as well as giving them better back health in their daily lives in Bristol.

To find out more about injury rehabilitation, please visit here.

I've written an article about how to avoid back pain this Autumn - find out more here.

If you are experiencing back pain and need to book a consultation, please see my contact information here.

To make a booking for an osteopathic consultation at my clinic in Bristol please visit here.