Don’t let Christmas turn into a pain

Health
Andrew O'Brien

As I write this, the west of Ireland is recovering from Storm Desmond. Hopefully as you read it, we aren’t bracing for Storm Eimear! But it is winter storm time, and as our three-year-old keeps telling us ‘It’s getting wards to Christmas!’
Everyone is running around decorating trees, planning dinner, picking up last-minute gifts and generally getting excited about the big bloke in the red suit. But with all the fuss, it’s worth warning you about some common Christmas-related injuries.
Christmas injuries – who knew there was such a thing? Technically speaking, you won’t find these in a text book, but from experience I can tell you that they are common complaints at this time of the year, so it’s worth offering a few suggestions to reduce the risks and impact of the season.
Have you ever spent a day trudging around a shopping centre, laden with bags and jackets and noticed an ache in your back, legs or shoulders? Those of you who suffer from lower back pain will almost certainly know what I’m talking about. Such aches are not usually due to the amount of walking you’ve done, but the type of walking. Stopping, starting, weaving through crowds and never really being able to get into stride is harder work than going for a walk around the park. Add a few heavy bags and it’s no wonder you tire and get sore.
My tip to avoid the aches? Lighten the load. Every so often, take your bags back to the car. The walk across the car park and back will give you a chance to stride out, loosen the back and legs and get a bit of fresh air. And who knows, you might get to the car and decide the crowds are too much and go home, where you’d rather be anyway!
Christmas Day, the one we’ve all been waiting for. Think for a minute, though, about what happens in most houses on Christmas day. Food. More food. Maybe move from the table to the couch for a drink or two, a chat and a few snacks, then back to the table for dinner! Okay, maybe I’m the only one who treats Christmas as a feed trough… But hours can pass sitting comfortably, chatting and eating.
Now, remember we evolved over millions of years as moving creatures, and sitting all day increases the risk of your neck and back getting stiff and sore.
Don’t panic, I’m not suggesting that you need to stand all of Christmas Day, but every so often – between feeding times – get up and move a little. Assuming Storm Eimear has passed and Storm Frank hasn’t arrived, a walk around the block would be even better. If the weather is horrendous again, sneak off somewhere and do a few stretches on the floor … and if nobody notices you’re gone, have a half-hour snooze!
The final group of Christmas injuries are the ones that make for great stories at New Year. Dads, tune in now. Mums, move on to the next paragraph. Now, gents, none of us are 20 anymore, and I’m guessing, like me, you haven’t been on a skateboard, roller blades or a scooter for a year or two. You might have been awesome in your day, but that’s not today, so stick to helping, not demonstrating. Nobody wants to be laid up on Boxing Day with an ankle in plaster and a bump on their head, wondering how to keep it quiet. As far as I know, there aren’t that many half-pipes in Mayo, so no-one’s going to believe the ‘true story’!
Another revolutionary idea over Christmas is to keep up the exercise, or even start it up. Why wait until January for your resolutions to start? There’s the Land of the Giants Duathlon in Claremorris on December 28, or the Streets of Westport 5k on New Year’s Day, and the Park Run gang always welcome new faces … and if you’re seriously keen, the rugby club will be swimming at Bertra on Boxing Day!
Regardless of what you get up to, stay warm, stay safe, stay dry, and have a Happy Christmas!

Andrew O’Brien is a chartered physiotherapist and the owner of Wannarun Physiotherapy and Running Clinic at Westport Leisure Park. He can be contacted on 083 1593200 or at www.wannarun.ie.