Tradies are pretty spot-on at looking after their tools and trucks, but what about their most important tool of all – their body?
Research from Australia has shown that tradies are almost twice as likely to look after their tools than their body, which is why so many tradies go home each day with aches and pains (69% believe it’s normal to be sore as result of their work!). Statistically, trade workers have had the highest number of ACC claims by occupation since 2007, and the Gisborne/Hawkes Bay region had the highest rate of claims in 2018!
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Chiropractors are highly trained and experienced to maintain proper alignment and health of the spine and other joints of the body. This has an influence on the function of the nervous system, which is an important factor in preventing injuries on top of recovering from them.
Early treatment of niggles will reduce the likelihood of time off the tools and the risk of further injury, so adding a chiropractor to their toolkit is one big step towards a longer and pain-free career in the trade. Here are some more tips:
Healthy Tradesman checklist:
- Warm up and stretch at the start of the day
- Ask for one of our ‘Basic Stretches’ handouts for some instructions
- Take regular breaks
- Schedule them throughout your day or listen to your body if you need a rest
- Communicate with your employers
- Speak up if you need a rest to heal as pushing through a minor injury is likely to lead to more damage and a longer layoff
- Plan out your day
- For example, if you know you need to do a lot of a repetitive activity like constant gripping with hammering or drilling, break the job up throughout the day to give your muscles a rest and prevent straining
- Get some rest on weekends!
- We know ‘perkies’ are often worth the effort, but if you’re doing them every weekend then you are more than likely overdoing yourself and possibly setting up a burnout
- Make ‘self care’ a priority – fuel your body with good whole foods and plenty of water, prioritise healthy routine sleep.
- Have regular checkups with your Chiropractor
- Keeping your spine and nervous system healthy will help you to have a long and comfortable career as a tradie!