How To Prevent Neck and Spine Pain This Halloween
Category: Spine Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
Halloween is on the horizon, and while it can be a fun time for kids, it can be hard on your neck and back. However, if you plan ahead and keep your body in mind when gearing up for the big night, we’re confident that you can keep back and neck pain at bay. Below, we share some tips for preventing back and neck pain leading up to and on Halloween night.
Plan Ahead and the Pumpkin Patch
If you’re going to harvest pumpkins from a patch, make sure that you plan ahead so transport is easier. Bring a wagon or grab a wheelbarrow from the owner so that you’re not trying to carry three heavy pumpkins back to the store from the field. Odds are your kids aren’t going to pick small, light pumpkins, so have a way to transport them to take pressure off your spine. If you have to carry them, only lift an appropriate load and bend with your knees, not your spine.
Ladder Security
Whether you’re hanging black and orange lights from the oak tree in your front yard or cleaning out your gutters from fallen leaves, be sure that you have someone to secure the ladder while you’re on it. Grass and the ground can be slippery this time of year, and if the ladder slips out from underneath, you may end up with a severe spine or neck injury. Be smart when working from heights this fall.
Practicality Over Everything Else
When designing and planning Halloween costumes, be sure you put practicality before everything else. If the costume requires you or your child to hunch down or carry a heavy weight on their back, problems can develop. This is especially true if you’re going to be on your feet at a party or walking the neighborhood all night. If your neck or back isn’t comfortable in the costume, make an adjustment or find a new costume.
Keep The Little Monsters Off Your Back
If you’re going to take the kids Trick or Treating, make sure that you plan a route that is doable for their size and attention span. If they run out of gas, they may want you to carry them around the neighborhood on your shoulders. Even though they may not be that heavy, this extra stress can cause issues for your neck and back if it continues for an extended period of time. Have alternate modes of transportation ready in case your kids get sick of walking.
Pace Yourself With Candy
The prospect of a tub full of candy is every child’s dream this Halloween season, but you and your kids are going to want to limit the amount of sweets you eat during and after the holiday. Excess sugar contributes to the onset of inflammation in our body, and if that inflammation occurs in our spinal joints, spinal nerves can become compressed and cause pain. Limit yourself to a couple of candies each day, and be sure you’re staying active even as the temperatures continue to drop. Exercise is the best way to keep your spine in shape, so don’t let the cooling weather be your reason for not staying active.
