Oct. 8, 2014 – As World Spine Day on Oct. 16 approaches, Canada’s chiropractors are trying to draw attention to the impact that low back pain and musculoskeletal issues can have on Canadians.
The Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA) and the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) are reminding the chiropractic
community to help promote awareness on spinal health and urge the
public to “take 3 at 3.” This initiative involves a simple three-minute
break towards the end of the workday at 3:00 p.m. to perform a few
stretches and exercises that can help improve posture and avoid low back
pain.
Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability
worldwide. Each year over 11 million Canadians suffer from at least one
musculoskeletal (MSK) condition. This accounts for one-third of all
missed days of work, second only to the common cold.
Many MSK
problems are caused by poor posture, a common result from spending more
time sitting than standing and consistently being hunched over
technological devices in your office, classroom or even at home.
To
makes these three-minute breaks as easy as possible, the CCA and OCA are encouraging the public to download the Straighten Up Canada app. This
free app takes a user through a series of exercises aimed at improving
posture and reducing the risk of a musculoskeletal disorder. You can download the app from the Apple App Store on your iOS device and/or Google Play Store on the Android device.
To
help chiropractors and other health-care practitioners tell the story of
the importance of posture to musculoskeletal health, the OCA has made
available an information sheet about Straighten Up Canada that can be
shared with patients.
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