Millions of working days are lost each year in Britain due to occupational injuries, the vast majority being those that suffer from back pain.
Your body needs to be able to cope with the individual demands made upon it by the style of work you do, whether you are based in an office, car or outside.
Manual workers inevitably are at risk of injury caused by heavy and often awkward lifting, sometimes accompanied with poor lifting technique, overstretching, and periods of prolonged bending causing back injuries such as disc problems, sciatica and muscle strain.
In the office where desk work is more common, there are the dangers of ‘computer hump’ and ‘mouse wrist’, whilst frequent telephone use affects the neck and shoulders causing headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome etc.
Those who drive for a living need to be aware of their driving position as it affects not only their back, neck and shoulders but also can affect hips, knees and feet.
I also provide treatment plans for employers as part of their own health promotion schemes. Osteopathic treatment will usually help to resolve work-related injuries earlier so that your workforce is more efficient and productive and it will reduce time off through ill-health.
Some companies already benefit from using an osteopath as part of their care programme for employees thereby improving morale and increasing productivity.