Post holiday pain
Back and neck pain, is your holiday to blame?
Planes, trains and automobiles, not to mention camp beds, heavy luggage, hours spent in airport lounges or stuck in traffic on the M25. There’s a lot to cause a pain in the neck (and back) during holiday season. In fact, holidays can be seriously bad for your back health.
According to recent research from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), almost one third (32%) of people who have suffered from back or neck pain said they have experienced this pain on holiday. As for the cause of pain, 45% of those suffering on holiday said that sleeping in a different bed was the cause of their pain, whilst 40% blamed travelling long distances, and 37% stated it was down to carrying heavy bags.
Interestingly, travelling long distances was a more common cause of pain for women, with 44% of women saying this was the reason for their holiday pain, compared to 34% of men.
Beat ‘Holiday Hunch’ with massage therapy
For the lucky, the pain they return from holiday with eases naturally as they return to their normal sleeping, exercise and posture patterns. However, for many the ‘holiday hunch’ lingers. Meaning they struggle with daily pain, and begin to notice knock on effects as their body attempts to adapt. This can cause unnecessary wear-and-tear on the spine & have a negative ongoing impact on back health. The answer, don’t hope for the best. Address the cause of your pain with massage therapy, before it becomes more deep rooted.
At this time of year post-holiday aches and pains are frequently presented by patients in our Life Chiropractic clinics. “Holiday season can be relaxing, and pain inducing in equal measure”, says Gemma Powley, massage therapist at Life Chiropractic. “Carrying heavy, awkward luggage places huge strain on the back, neck and shoulder muscles, and poor quality holiday beds can add to that further. The good news is that a post-holiday chiropractic massage can alleviate strain. With techniques including sports massage, deep tissue, trigger point therapy & relaxation massage ensuring that neck & back pain, muscle strain, pinched nerves and herniated disks are not an inevitable part of having a holiday.”
Anti ‘Holiday Hunch’ Checklist: I’ll start today!• Relax & roll my shoulders. Aim for 10 rolls forwards, and 10 rolls back, every few hours.
- Sit up straight to avoid developing a stooped posture. Use your core!
- Sleep sensibly – In a position where your spine is in a straight line as this helps your body to repair post-holiday.
- Keep moving. Aim for a 30-minute walk 5 times a week.
- Book an appointment with a professional massage therapist for advice & hands on deep tissue, trigger point therapy & relaxation massage.
Massage therapy and chiropractic
At Life Chiropractic massage therapy plays a vital role in our holistic approach to the wellbeing of our patients. It contributes to improved posture, and eases the effects of stress, tension and anxiety felt within the body. Because of this it is the perfect partner for hands on chiropractic adjustment, and aids the bodies healing process. Each massage is tailored to your needs, whether indulgent relaxation, or a massaged targeting specific physical ailments and issues.
Learn more, and hear from experienced Life Chiropractic massage therapist Charlotte in this short video.
Make chiropractic massage therapy part of your healthy lifestyle.
Call today to arrange an appointment or visit our website to book online.
Helpful links:
- Read more about the holiday back health research conducted by The British Chiropractic Association
