If you suffer from back pain, you’re not alone – around 80% of New Zealanders will experience back pain at some time in their life. Back pain can have a significant impact on day to day life – affecting work and your ability to keep moving and enjoy life with family and friends. Our team at Life Unlimited Store have helped many customers with back issues and have plenty of ideas to help you manage pain and keep active.
Taking care of your back
As with most injuries, prevention is better than cure, so reduce your risk of developing back pain with these tips:
- Stay active and get regular exercise to strengthen your back.
- Use safe lifting practices by bending at the knee, keeping your back straight and taking care not to lift more than you can safely manage.
- Maintain good posture especially at your desk. Sit up straight and take regular breaks from your work station.
Life Unlimited Store stocks a range of back care products, including items to help maintain good posture when seated, like the mesh back support and lumbar cushions, and wearable back supports to provide compression and support for mild back pain.
Assistive aids to help with everyday life
If back pain is affecting your ability to complete everyday tasks, the Life Unlimited Store may have just what you need to stay active and get on with life without straining your back or risking further injury.
Standing from a seated position can put additional pressure on your back, so raising seating levels may help. Try a raised toilet seat with arm rests in the bathroom, and a firm seat cushion or chair raisers under chair legs.
Chair raisers can also be placed under bed legs, and if you need extra support when getting out of bed a sturdy bed lever will also help.
A grab bar for the bath not only takes the pressure off, it also reduces the risk of falls. And take a look at our range of dressing aids that minimise the need to bend and twist, such as our long-handled shoehorn and hairbrush and comb set. We also have assistive aids that can help you put on socks as well as lightweight, multi-use reachers.
For lots of other great tips and ideas, come in and see us at Life Unlimited Store. And if you want more information about back pain, including how to prevent and treat back injury, and when you should consult a doctor, visit www.healthnavigator.org.nz.
Make 2018 the year you enjoy better mobility
