CAI survey reveals:
- Almost half of respondents admit to poor posture
- 72 per cent suffer from back, neck or shoulder pain
- Two fifths regularly slouch when sitting or standing
- A flexible nation – 66 per cent can touch their toes!
The Chiropractic Association of Ireland (CAI) is encouraging Irish adults and children to ‘straighten up’ during the fourth annual ‘Straighten Up Ireland’ Week. The campaign begins today, Monday 10th October, finishing on World Spine Day, this Sunday, 16th October.
A posture care programme, ‘Straighten Up Ireland’ aims to raise awareness of spinal health among adults and children and encourage improved posture to help people to look and feel their best. The CAI promotes a series of simple everyday exercises which take a mere three minutes to complete and act to improve posture, stabilise core muscles, enhance health and help prevent spinal disability. The Straighten-Up campaign originated from a chiropractic university in America, was designed in collaboration with a team of leading health experts and is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Bone and Joint Decade. The exercises can be undertaken by people of all ages with a special program tailored for children.
The annual ‘Straighten Up Ireland’ survey revealed that 91 per cent of respondents claim to be aware that correct posture improves overall health and wellbeing. Despite this, over a half (51 per cent) admit they are only conscious of sitting and standing up straight ‘sometimes’, with 8 per cent saying they are not aware of it at all.
38 per cent ‘regularly’ slouch when standing or sitting, with over half (58 per cent), admitting occasional lapses in good posture. Only 4 per cent claim to have perfect posture at all times.
One fifth of those surveyed (21 per cent) experience regular back, neck, and/or shoulder pain, with almost three quarters (72 per cent) occasionally suffering from one or more of these complaints.
The Straighten Up Ireland survey also suggests that we are a reasonably flexible nation, with four fifths (80 per cent) describing themselves as ‘flexible’ or ‘sort of’ flexible and a surprising 66 per cent able to touch their toes!
Dr. Siobhan Guiry, President of the CAI commented: “Poor posture is a common cause of back pain. This can be due to a number of reasons such as carrying heavy bags or prolonged sitting in a badposition at school, work or while watching TV/computer. With the Straighten Up Ireland campaign, we hope to emphasise the importance of good posture and its related health benefits, as well as educating everyone about the potential short and long term implications of poor posture.”
Guiry continued: “As a result of poor posture and back pain, millions of Euro is wasted in Ireland every year due to a decreased ability to work efficiently, absenteeism, not to mention the pain and disability that people go through. Almost everyone we surveyed (98 per cent) has three minutes to spare each day, which is all you need to complete our quick and easy posture careexercises. As the dental profession developed a campaign of daily oral hygiene, the aim of the Straighten Up campaign is to encourage individuals of all ages to invest 3 minutes a day in their spinal health and wellbeing.”
The week long campaign will see numerous national and local events take place throughout the country. Chiropractors will be out and about in their communities visiting schools and workplaces to demonstrate the exercises and provide tips and information on how to improve spinal health. There will also be a number of seminars and information evenings throughout the week.
Please visit www.chiropractic.ie for more information on the Chiropractic Association of Ireland and Straighten Up Ireland Week. Information leaflets advising how to do the exercises are also available for download.