Tradies have among the highest number of injuries, musculoskeletal conditions and other health and safety risks of any profession. Every day 10 tradies are badly injured at work. That is 3650 tradies a year on workers compensation. Nearly a quarter of all roofers, labourers and plumbers experience back pain, muscle stress and strain from lifting equipment or slips, trips, and falls when handling materials.
Chiropractors play a critical role in providing early healthcare intervention support–through diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease and disability through physical means. Working in partnership with their patients, Chiropractors can help recovery from injury, reduce pain and stiffness, and increase mobility, and also prevent further injury.
How Can Chiropractic Help?
Chiropractors are experts in human movement. They understand how your muscles, bones, joints and ligaments work and how injuries happen.
Chiropractors are able to help get you back to work faster. Chiropractors can:
- Assess your muscle strength, flexibility and fitness to design an appropriate fitness program
- Teach you how to better handle loads, to move more efficiently and safely
- Teach you how to engage your trunk core stabilisers when performing a task
- Show you how to prevent injury in your home or workplace
- Improve general fitness and weight control
They may use:
- Chiropractic manipulative therapy (adjustments)
- Functional and rehabilitative exercises
- Neuromuscular injury prevention strategies, including proprioceptive balance training
- Massage and mobilisation to increase flexibility and range of movement directed towards soft-tissue structures, articular structures and neural tissue
- Muscle energy techniques
- Activity modification advice
- Biomechanical correction
- Postural assessment, correction and advice
- Ergonomic advice regarding work role modifications, if required
- Exercises to improve flexibility, strength, posture and core stability
Early intervention and treatment through chiropractic care and the promotion of preventative health and wellbeing can prolong working careers and improve general wellbeing for any worker in the trade industry.
Stretch of the Month
Achilles Stretch
- Stand arms length away from a wall and with feet shoulder width apart.
- Place your right foot about 2 feet in front of your left.
- Keeping both heels flat on the ground, let both knees bend, you should feel like you are lowering yourself straight down.
- Remember to keep both heels flat on the floor.
- Repeat for the other leg.
Towards Wellness
Winter Sleep Tips
It may be tempting to spend more time in your warm and cosy bed when it’s cold outside. Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night, varying according to age and individual need. So work out how much sleep you need then try to go to bed and wake around the same time each day. Having a healthier sleep routine helps maintain your wellbeing at any time of year.
