The most common issues I treat at my Henleaze osteopathy clinic are related to back injuries, so I thought writing on back pain prevention tips in Bristol would be useful.

According to the NHS, back pain is the single largest cause of disability in the UK, with lower back pain accounting for 11% of the total disability of the UK population.

As a Bristol osteopath with 28 years of experience, my mantra has always been 'prevention is better than cure' and this is critical when it comes to preventing back pain and back injuries.

Many back pain issues that I treat patients for arise from two causes:

-Making an unexpected or sudden movement

-Overdoing a physical activity (such as lifting, bending, or gardening).

However, a third major contributor to back pain and back injuries is sitting; poor sitting posture and sitting for too long.

Sitting badly with poor posture and too much time sitting can lead to health issues including back pain, spinal dysfunction, joint degeneration, poor posture and round shoulders, neck pain and headaches.

I launched the unique ergonomic Z Chair to tackle these issues and reduce back pain and back injuries due to poor sitting posture.

There are well-documented links between poor sitting posture and back pain - read this to find out more.

Visit here to find out more about the Z Chair.

Another simple but effective way to reduce back pain is to avoid long periods of sitting.

The body is designed to move and to move regularly. If you work at a desk or are sitting down for long periods during the day, there is an increased chance of back pain issues.

My advice is to take micro-breaks - find out more about them here.

Pain is a clear warning sign from the body, so please do not ignore it.

Early intervention through osteopathic treatment can help significantly reduce back pain and prevent a future back injury. Early treatment also aids in much faster recovery.

To make a booking at my Henleaze osteopathy clinic, visit here.