Back pain

[watervole]

Since school ended, Henry has been having a dedicated flop. Lots of reading, lots of computer games. Since Harry Potter came out, he's been doing even more reading, usually in positions that would make a physiotherapist wince. His typing position has become a slouch.

Today, we made the shift from "If you don't improve your posture, you'll get terrible back pain" to "I told you so".

It isn't exactly much consolation, but at least he's discovered *before* leaving for university that even the young and fit can get serious back problems. Perhaps, though I may be being too optimistic here, he may even learn to correct his posture.

He's in fairly serious pain and he's only himself to blame.

Parents may actually know what they're talking about, but kids still only seem willing to learn from experience.

Comments

[beermat]

get that person a kneelie chair!

and expensive chiropracty to correct any problem...

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

I keep thinking about getting one of those. Got any advice, please?

Gina

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Kneelie chairs only work for some people. In my case, they make things worse. It's as well to try borrowing one before forking out cash if you get the chance.

Before that, try posture, ergonomic furniture, regular breaks, apropriate exercise and lots of other things.

[beermat]

seconded.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

Excellent advice. Thanks.

Gina

[beermat]

viking direct, they do a cheepy wooden one for 30 quid or so when I brought one, or the more recent ones I have are the tubular steel construction for a bit more.
Have been using kneelie chairs for many years now and it seems to have allievated many of my previous back problems (eg a decade ago or so, tweaking something in my back once and being bed-ridded for 4 days. not fun.)

Recently (feb) I clobbered by back bigtime on the desk I was standing up from under and that was agony. so off to chiropracters for many sessions and now it's right as rain and better than at any time I can remember.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the advice, shall definitely look into the topc some more yet.

Gina

[sugoll.livejournal.com]

But being a Young Person(tm), he'll also heal a lot faster. [envy]

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

I sit on a gym ball at my computer desk. Far cheaper than a kneeling chair (less than a tenner in most places) and much more fun (you can't bounce as well on a chair). Good for the posture and core stability, and you can even do some exercise with it if you're feeling energetic. Doesn't leave chair-leg dents in the carpet either.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

What a neat idea! I can see how sitting on a ball would force you to be very aware of posture as I imagine it tries to roll away if you don't keep your centre of gravity balanced.

If Henry has space when he goes to university, I might encourage him to get one.

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

I imagine it tries to roll away if you don't keep your centre of gravity balanced

Not only that, but you tend to fall off the side in an undignified heap!

Space-wise, technically you can deflate them when you're not using them so they don't take up any room at all. In practice you end up leaving them up because it's a pain to inflate them every time you sit down. On the other hand, they're very light and won't squash anything so you can stick one on your desk when you're not using it, or balance it on top of the monitor/TV/wardrobe/sink/cat.

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

And if you've got back problems you can lie face-up on your gym ball, feeling the vertebrae unkink as you relax. Can't recommend them highly enough. They were designed for physiotherapy, it was years before gyms cottoned on to them being a good thing for normal exercise (which indeed they are - if I could only have one piece of gym equipment it would be a gym ball, you can do a full workout with nothing but a ball and your own bodyweight. And they're fun too!).

[watervole.livejournal.com]

What sort of shops sell gym balls?

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

I've seen them in Boots and Argos, and various sports shops. I got my best ones from http://www.physique.co.uk/dolc_product.asp?CaNo=45&subId=23&PCid=27 and can recommend them - good quality, anti-burst and they also do ones with handles on the top that are like adult sized space hoppers!

If you're intending to use it primarily as a chair then the 65cm size is the best size for a standard desk.

The ones I've seen in Boots come with their own little pump. Physique's ones don't, but the pumps you can get from them (fairly cheaply) are brilliant and well worth it. Inflating one with a bicycle pump takes hours, the specialised pumps just take a few minutes.