Preventing daily pain

Preventing daily pain

OK I am a realist and I understand that not ALL pain can be prevented all of the time.  There may be a few things that you didn’t realize causes pain and you may be able to prevent some of this pain with a few easy steps.  

Lets start out with what we wear.  Now we all know that high heels for us ladies can cause pain.  But what you may not know is that flip flops can also cause pain.  Most flip flops have very little or no arch support.  If that arch support is not there, you can experience pain in your feet.  It also can cause pain in the ankles, knees, hips and low back.  How could a cute pair of flip flops wreak such havoc on the body?  Reserve the flip flops for the beach or pool and try and wear shoes with better arch supports.
How about that wallet you have in your back pocket?  Have you ever thought about the pain it could be giving you?  When your wallet is in your back pocket it can place an increased amount of pressure on the sciatic nerve.  This may happen more so when you are sitting.  So if you have increased pain, ache or symptoms that are going down the leg of the same side you have your wallet on, take your wallet out when you are sitting and see if that pain goes away.  Make sure you take your wallet out of your back pocket before sitting to help avoid sciatic pain.

You have heard myself and Joel talk about posture and proper posture to avoid injury while sitting at your desk.  If you sit at a desk all day, make sure you are getting up frequently and move around as well as stretching while you are up and sitting at your desk.  Make sure that everything at your work station is properly positioned to allow you to have less stress on your neck and back.  

Finally for you weekend warriors.  Now that the work week is over, its time to relax and play.  For many of us this may mean lounging on the couch.  This may put stress on the neck and back if you are not sitting properly.  Try to maintain proper posture even during your leisure time.  Now weekends for the rest of you mean increased activity!  If you work at a job where you are sitting most of the day and you get very little exercise during the week, turning into the weekend warrior can cause some problems.  Your muscles aren’t prepared for more strenuous activity so stretching prior to any activity is a must.  Also start with light activity to warm up.  Regular exercise will help your muscles to be more prepared for more strenuous activity on the weekends.
So if you are planning on slipping on those flip flops or sitting at your desk with a stack of data entry, remember these things can cause pain, but if you take the right steps you can avoid that unwanted pain.

Vivian Plummer-Benzick
Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant
Zimmerman Physical Therapy