World Spine Day – 16th October 2016

For World Spine Day on Sunday 16 October 2016, the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia (CAA) is encouraging people to ‘Straighten Up and Move’.

World Spine Day is a global campaign to highlight the importance of physical activity and improving posture for good spinal health and prevention of injury, as part of the Bone and Joint Decade’s Action Week. It is estimated that one in six Australians (3.7 million) had chronic back problems in 2014–15, according to an August 2016 report released by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Straighten Up!

Poor posture may cause headaches, soreness, back pain and fatigue, by putting pressure on your spine. In many cases, this can be prevented with education about the issue. While it may take some diligence to undo bad habits, it’s worth persevering.

Straighten Up Australia is an ongoing community service initiative of the CAA, and is an easy and enjoyable everyday program to improve your health and the way your body functions.

Consisting of a set of simple exercises and taking just three minutes to complete, Straighten Up Australia will help improve posture, stabilise core muscle groups, enhance health and prevent spinal disability. You can download the Straighten Up Australia exercise program at www.chiropractors.asn.au/sua

And Move!

Modern lifestyles – such as office work and extended use of computers or mobile devices – may make us less active or adopt poor posture.

Walking is a low impact exercise that assists in improving flexibility and mobility. Accompanied by a regimen of stretching, walking can improve flexibility and a better range of motion. Walking strengthens the body and helps position the spine in its upright natural shape, assisting posture.

CAA’s Just Start Walking app is one way to help get you moving. Available from the App Store and Google Play, this app allows you to track your walks via GPS, log your walking history, share your walks with friends online and find walking events in your local area.

For more information on how to maintain a healthy spine, please visit www.perthwellness.com.au