16 Dec Do you work in the retail and hospitality industry standing and serving customers all day long
Is the Christmas overtime giving you back pain
Christmas and New Year festivities often mean shopping and parties for many, while it means non-stop serving and overtime for those who work behind the counter and in the kitchens for retail and hospitality industry. It’s not uncommon retail and hospitality staff to experience an increase in Lower Back Pain at this time of the year!
Here at My Favourite Physio, our Expert Physiotherapists often find that we see an increase in Low Back Pain clients who work in retail and hospitality after Christmas and New Year! Many people would report that they twisted their backs or felt a niggle begin before Christmas due to work being more busy serving the shoppers and Christmas work party crowds, but work was too busy for them to stop and take time off to have their backs looked at! So here are some quick tips to help you look after yourself during this end of year festivities and prevent Low Back Pain:
Tip #1:
Wear comfortable shoes. Avoid wearing heels. Instead wear flat shoes that have good arch support and soles to cushion the impact of each step you take on the hard flooring at work.
2. Take frequent rest breaks to stretch your Lower Back. Often times retail and hospitality workers will tell us that they could not even stop for toilet breaks when it gets really busy. So a great way to get some stretch to your Lower Back is to stand with one leg on a little step when begins the counter so you can ease the tension in your lower back.
3. Look after yourself by starting And ending your day with a stretching and strengthening exercise routine. A great exercise to do is to lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest and hug your knees for 30seconds and relax. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
4. Finally if you did pull your back whole at work, inform your employer and aim to take time off to have your back assessed by an Expert Physiotherapist ASAP to prevent long term recurrent Low Back Pain! Ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 to find out how we can help you today!