FEELING GREAT: Consider the impact your job is having upon your health

It is an important thing to think about because hidden inside every occupation there is a risk of injury or physical ill health.

My team see it every day here at the Paul Gough Physio Rooms and I want you to be aware that it is a regular occurrence, so hopefully you can avoid or limit the effect your work may have on your ability to keep active and on the go for years to come. What’s interesting to note here is that most people go to work every day blissfully unaware that what they do and the way they do it is making it very likely that they will suffer from some kind of physical ill health.

Let’s point a few out and see if you can avoid them.

Plumbers, bricklayers, joiners and plasterers are all aware of the likelihood of injuries to their wrists, backs or knees.

It comes with the territory and is obvious for all to see, as such tradesmen spend hours in awkward positions trying to fix things in your home, or on a building site. But what about the not so obviously “harmful to health” occupations?

What if your job is in admin and you sit at a desk all day, or maybe

you’re a hairdresser or dentist who spends hours stooping over their clients? These jobs come with their dangers too.

What if you’re a health care worker, a nurse or a teacher? You might be surprised to learn that such professionals are regular visitors to my physio clinic. And here’s why: most people are aware of, or have been told about, the dangers of sitting in the wrong position for too long (ie slouching). I bet

that if you’ve ever worked in a big office, you’ve had countless “workstation assessments” carried out, or you’ve had it pointed out by your health and safety person that you should be sitting upright in your chair with all your body parts at 90 degrees!

Remember recently, when I wrote about the concept of having standing desks in offices after I came across some over in the United States? I hope you are thinking of the benefits of them by now!

And I’ll tell you more next time too about the importance of looking after your back while at work.