Mobility Month may be ‘officially’ over, but here at Wynyard Chiropractic we are still celebrating and encouraging YOU to assess your mobility!
In March 2021, the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) encouraged chiropractors, patients and the general public to discover and improve their mobility, in order to improve spinal health.
Mobility and spinal health are more important than ever, with 72.2% of people who worked from home suffering posture related pain1. Of those people, 40% admitted to suffering from back pain, 39.8% from neck pain and 34.4% from shoulder pain1.
According to research, a third of people living with pain, such as neck and back pain, admit to having reduced movement and mobility (32.6%) which has significant impact on their quality of life1. At Wynyard Chiropractic, we want to make sure that the damage isn’t long lasting.
Spinal health is about so much more than just pain though. Spinal problems have the ability to go beyond physical pain with a third (32.6%) of Aussies admitting it impacts their mobility, and one in five (20.7%) say it caused them anxiety and depression.1
Mobility issues can go much further than spinal pain and can often indicate an array of significantly more serious health issues. Research shows that those with a sedentary lifestyle and posture related pain double their risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity, and increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression and anxiety.2
It is due to the increased risk of serious diseases that we are urging you to assess your lifestyle and movement capability. Not just in Mobility Month, but NOW is the perfect time to give yourself a movement assessment, identify if your body is not as mobile as it could be and seek the guidance of professionals if needed.
SO! What do we do next? Well, to start with, a simple self-assessment can allow you to check your mobility, and identify areas that may need some help.
These four exercises below can help determine your spinal health and if you need to seek professional help. Let us know if you pass the test, and if not, we are here to help!!
To help Australians assess their mobility, and most importantly safeguard their risk of serious health implications, the ACA have developed four simple tests to try at home. You can also click on the title of each exercise for an instructional video!
Neck Rotation
Sitting down, keep your shoulders still and against the chair. Turn your head all the way to the left as if you were looking over your shoulder. How far around did you get? Repeat on the right. Was it even? Was it comfortable?
Stand with your feet comfortably apart. Run a hand down the side of your leg so you side bend without leaning backwards or forwards. Repeat on the other side. Was it even and was it comfortable to do?
Sit in the middle of your chair. Cross your arms over your chest. Keeping your back straight and arms across your chest, stand straight up and then sit back down. Did you do this easily or was it hard?
In a safe environment free of trip hazards, stand upright with feet together and place hands on hips. Lift one foot off the ground, so your thigh is parallel with the ground. Time how long you can stand without moving. Repeat on opposite side. Are you able to stand on each leg for at least 40 seconds? (If under 60 years)
What do my results mean?
If you are unable to perform these tests, or if you feel pain with one or more of them, please get in contact with us and find out how we can help you!
References
- Australian Chiropractors Association, Consumer Research Survey: July 2020
- WHO. Physical inactivity a leading cause of disease and disability, warns WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2002-physical-inactivity-a-leading-cause-of-disease-and-disability-warns-who