PosturePlast Osteopath’s top tips to avoid festival back pain

PRLog (Press Release) - May 25, 2012 - Hangovers, tiredness and ringing ears are just some of the sacrifices that dedicated music lovers might make to enjoy their favourite music during summer festival season, but there is one health hazard that festival goers needn’t accept as par for the course.

Adam Dallison (http://www.postureplast.co.uk/what-is-postureplast/the-ex...), osteopath and inventor of PosturePlast, explains why back pain is a common problem at festivals and explains how it can be easily avoided by taking a few simple precautions.

Pitching a tent is usually the first stop for festival goers, and back injuries as a result of this are a sure way to ruin the weekend ahead.  Dallison explains, “People are usually keen to get this done as quickly as possible but hurriedly bending, twisting and stretching with poor posture can all result in back injuries”.  Allowing plenty of time, enlisting the help of a friend and bending from the knees are all tips Dallison gives to avoid the risk of back pain when pitching a tent.

A rucksack is a festival essential, often packed with everything needed for the day.  “Make sure that heavy objects like bottles of water are packed near the back of the rucksack (closer to the spine) to better distribute your centre of gravity and prevent you from compensating with bad posture, which can result in a bad back.

Whether watching a band, soaking up the sun or queuing for the toilets, staying in the same position for a long period of time places continuous strain on the same parts of the back.  Dallison explains, “Varying your posture between standing and sitting will give muscles in your back a rest and help to prevent back ache.  Investing in a lightweight fold-out camping chair will let you take the pressure off your back if you have been standing for a long period”.

Sitting on a friend or partner’s shoulders for a better view of your favourite band may seem like a good idea at the time, but the compression this causes in the back will almost certainly result in back pain (http://www.postureplast.co.uk/why-use-postureplast/pain-r...).  Instead, find a different spot to enjoy the music from– your friend will be just as thankful as the people behind you!” advises Dallison.

Whether rocking at Download or chilling at Creamfields, Dallison explains that there is one factor common to all festival experiences that can be responsible for back pain; “Whether a bad back is sustained putting up a tent, dancing or sleeping on a hard floor, there is one root cause of all of these; bad posture (http://www.postureplast.co.uk/why-use-postureplast/postur...). People often see bad posture as how they sit or stand, but bad posture encompasses all of the ways we move -bending, twisting or stretching.”

PosturePlast, invented by Adam Dallison, is an x-shaped adhesive support for the lower back.  By keeping the back in its ‘safe zone’, or correct posture, injury can be prevented. So along with Wellington boots, spare toilet roll and tins of soup, festival goers should pack a PosturePlast to ensure a pain free festival experience.