A tradies’ health is their most important tool, yet Australian tradies experience some of the highest rates of injury and time off work compared to other workers. In fact, 3 in 5 serious workplace injuries involve a tradie, despite tradies making up only 30 per cent of the Australian workforce. The Australian Physiotherapy Association is encouraging all tradies, their employers and families to think about their health and take a few simple steps to prioritise their wellbeing at work. Physiotherapy can be enormously beneficial in helping to prevent and manage injuries. Physiotherapists are trained in human movement and are able to show you the best way to perform a task. This can be done in group training or on a one-on- one basis.
Your physiotherapist can help you with your fitness, flexibility and strength to ensure you are working optimally. Let’s look at these in turn:
Fitness
This isn’t just about running or playing sport, it also includes eating well, sleeping well, maintaining a healthy weight and living a balanced life that includes time for things you enjoy doing with friends and family.
Flexibility
5-10 minutes of stretching every morning before work can make a big difference and help you warm up for the day. It’s particularly helpful to stretch the quadriceps, hamstrings, back and shoulder muscles.
Strength
Our core stabilising muscles act like a natural active back brace. Having good core stability can help to reduce back pain and other associated issues. Some simple exercises for 5-10 minutes at the start of the working day can help wake these muscles up and get them ready for action. Your physiotherapist can assess your core muscles and make sure you are using them correctly for your tasks at work. Strength in your large muscle groups, such as quadriceps and glutes, will also aid you in performing tasks correctly.
Injury management
Despite your best efforts, jobs involving manual and repetitive tasks will, from time-to-time, result in aches and pains. It is best to see your physiotherapist early before the issue progresses to something more serious.
Your POhysiotherapist can advise you on how to manage your work without making the issue worse, along with providing treatment and exercises to assist in a speedy recovery. Call us on 03 9716 2250.