EIGTHY per cent of the population experience problems with their spine at some point in their life.
That was the verdict of Dr Efstathios Papadopoulos, President of the Cyprus Chiropractic Association and Vice-President of the World Federation of Chiropractors yesterday, on the occasion of World Spine Day.
“Musculo-skeletal conditions are the most common causes of severe long-term pain and physical disability, affecting the quality of life of hundreds of million of people across the world, and Cyprus is no different,” he explained.
“Prevention is key and reduces the need for pharmaceutical treatment and surgery and invigorates psychology.”
Under the theme, ‘Increased Performance at School and Work,’ the worldwide Straighten Up campaign has now been launched in Cyprus. It is a three-minute exercise programme for all ages, designed to help strengthen the spine and improve posture.
Chiropractor Dr George Oxinos described the campaign as, “vitally important for the prevention of injury and spine well-being. Just as we have got into the routine of brushing our teeth every morning and evening, this is another important routine we should make time for in our lives.”
Papadopoulos added that, “in this technological age, we are fast becoming a nation of couch potatoes and poor posture is a common trigger of back pain, along with other normal day to day activities such as housework, DIY, sleeping, sitting at a computer and playing video games for extended periods of time.”
The Straighten Up campaign in Cyprus is also being co-ordinated by sleep specialists Gevorest, with educational leaflets available throughout their stores.
Head of Operations, Andreas Savvides said: “Today, spinal health affects the well-being and productivity of every individual as well as the prosperity of our country. It is not something to be taken lightly.”
The company, which opened on the island in 1967, say that the position a person sleeps in plays a crucial role in keeping their spine healthy and to how they will feel upon waking up.
Gevorest has special equipment designed to analyse a person’s sleeping position in an effort to find them the best mattress for their body type and say that the most important thing to consider is keeping the spine straight. “A person will feel more rejuvenated if they sleep for five hours in the correct position rather than eight hours in the wrong position,” Savvides explained.
The average human being spends one-third of their life sleeping so it goes without saying that attention should be paid to the issue.
World Spine Day was initiated several years ago by the International Bone and Joint Decade. It aims to bring attention to the burden of spinal disability and promote better spinal health habits.
