Over 80% of the nation has experienced back pain at one point in their lives. With festival season upon us which will see many of us pitch tents and make-shift beds for several nights at a time, it can often wreak havoc with your back!
To make sure back pain doesn’t get between you and your festival weekend, Marc Sanders from the British Chiropractic Association shares his/her top five tips for keeping back pain at bay.
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag!
Use a backpack to carry your luggage into the festival and a smaller one to carry throughout the day. Backpacks help to even out the weight across your back, avoiding any unwanted pain towards the end of the day. If you can’t take a large backpack with you, make sure you bring two smaller bags to balance the weight on both sides of your body.
I’m still standing!
If you are standing up all day, much like Elton John, it’s worthwhile making sure you are wearing comfortable shoes. This means you will be more likely to balance your weight evenly to alleviate pressure on your back and hips. Check your posture every so often as well and readjust your position if you feel that you are slouching. Making sure your feet are hip width apart will also help.
Sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare?
If you want sweet dreams like Beyoncé, don’t ruin your sleep by lying on the cold, hard and often damp and uneven ground. Buying a good quality sleeping mat and bringing a pillow can help avoid this and will make sure you aren’t putting any pressure on any points of your back or spine – make sure you remove any debris such as sticks and stones before you pitch your tent as well!
Drinking from the bottle?
If, like Calvin Harris, you are drinking from the bottle all day, it’s important to note that it causes dehydration, which in turn can aggravate any painful muscles. Hot weather, dancing and standing for long periods of time can only worsen the issue- so make sure you drink plenty of water!
Hot n Cold
Much like Katy Perry says, you don’t want to be hot or cold! So bring a jumper for night time or when the sun goes down to be at the perfect temperate. Being cold may make you tense, aggravating any upper back and neck issues.
