Geriatric community care
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Geriatric community care

Our health care clinic has been in operation for 80 years, and some of our patients have been coming here since they were children. We pride ourselves on providing balanced medical care that looks at all aspects of a patient's wellbeing, including their mood, mental health, social connection as well as their physical health. As many of our patients are older, we've become specialists in geriatric care and help patients to stay at home as long as possible. We find that happy and connected seniors tend to be healthy. Our blog is all about holistic care for older patients in a health care clinic.

Geriatric community care

Planning to Prevent Spinal Pain

Jane Brown

Spinal pain is an all-too-common health problem that many Australians suffer from. Seeking clinical advice is always a good idea, as doctors or physios will be able to tailor their advice to your situation specifically. In most cases, quick relief can be found by using heat or ice packs (whichever you find more soothing). 

However, therapeutic relief or and preventative action can be achieved in the form of an exercise plan with frequent stretching. While these remedies will not fix permanent issues, they will prevent deterioration and keep you healthy. To alleviate your symptoms and prevent the further onset of spinal pain, the following tips may help. 

Stay active

A sedentary lifestyle can be a key cause of back pain. Sitting for long hours tends to make people hunch over and contract their back muscles, which creates tension and strain. Regular exercise is important for the prevention of spinal pain, as it will give your muscles time to stretch and rejuvenate. If you have trouble maintaining a regular exercise schedule, getting a personal trainer or exercising with others might help to keep you motivated. During long work days, taking frequent breaks to walk around the office and break up long periods of sitting is advisable. 

Watch your posture

Slouching places a lot of strain on your back muscles, making them spasm and cramp. Be mindful of the position your body forms when you are sitting or standing. Where are you placing your weight? Can you feel strain anywhere? Try to keep your muscles relaxed but upright and breathe deeply to improve your posture. Gradually increasing the amount of time you spend with good posture will remove some of the strain which causes your back pain. Stretching frequently will help to give your muscles the strength and flexibility to support good posture. 

Create a plan

With no way to monitor your progress towards less spinal pain, there is no way to know whether you are making progress towards a healthier back. Writing down a plan is an important step towards relief for your spinal pain. The plan should outline which exercises (as recommended by a health professional) you will do and at what times. You should mark off your progress each day to hold yourself to account. While missing one day is fine, forgetting your exercises frequently shows that you need to find a practical way to integrate your spinal pain plan into your lifestyle. 


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