Taking place on October 16 each year, World Spine Day has become a focus in raising awareness of back pain and other spinal issues. With health professionals, exercise and rehabilitation experts, public health advocates, schoolchildren, and patients all taking part, World Spine Day will be celebrated on every continent.
Established by the World Federation of Chiropractic in 2012, this holiday is part of Bone and Joint Action Week, which runs from October 12 to October 20. World Spine Day highlights the importance of spinal health and wellbeing. Promotion of physical activity, good posture, responsible lifting, and healthy working conditions will all feature as people are encouraged to look after their spines and stay active.
To Celebrate World Spine Day 2019, we’ve created this guide to teach you all about the events in your area, and partnered with Yoga Peace Kula to give out cards for a free yoga class at each of our locations. Come celebrate World Spine Day with us for a free consultation and a free yoga class!
What Is World Spine Day?
As the name implies, World Spine Day is celebrated around the globe. People of all ages, from students to seniors, learn more about the spine or spread awareness about spine-related issues on this day. Many health professionals run promotions or educational seminars in their offices about spinal care, but you can also find events managed by public health advocates and community leaders.
Spinal health is important, and this holiday helps the world remember that. If you attend an event tailored toward this day, expect to learn more about exercise, posture, and other healthy habits. Activities vary by location, but you might take an exercise class with gentle stretches, practice bending at the knees to pick up heavy items, or learn how to treat existing aches in your neck or back.
If none of these activities sound fun, consider hosting your own World Spine Day event. Download the 2018 tool kit — which is still relevant now — for ideas on how to plan and schedule your event. Like this blog post, the tool kit explains the history and goals of this worldwide holiday. It also explains how you can connect with the media when scheduling or hosting events and offers information about legally obtaining official logos for the holiday.
The official site for World Spine Day states that the holiday strives to address three main goals, which we've listed below:
1. Raise awareness about spinal health and spine disorders to individuals, communities, professionals, and all stakeholders associated with spine care.
2. Provide a forum for ongoing discussion about the burden of spinal disorders and the sharing of best practices.
3. Promote an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to easing the burden of spinal disorders.
Achieving these goals requires collaboration from health care professionals, community agencies, rehabilitation experts, and people just like you. If you want to help tackle these aims, consider attending some events for World Spine Day.
What Are Some Major Events for World Spine Day?
In 2019, World Spine Day has major events scheduled in the United States, the United Kingdom, Finland, South Africa, Uganda and Italy. These are some of the major events for this special day:
The United States
The Joint Chiropractic has encouraged clinic owners to host spinal health events in honor of this holiday. New patients can receive free consultations, and existing patients can have complimentary spinal adjustments from participating clinics.
Africa
Musculoskeletal clinicians and other spine specialists are invited to participate in Work-A-Day for World Spine Care. Donations help patients in remote communities access transportation and outpatient care. Each year, hundreds of patients receive care from participating clinics thanks to this program.
Uganda is hosting a poster design contest in 2019 via Hand Back Health to raise awareness about the physical and neurological disorders that can affect the musculoskeletal system. Nearly 1 in 3 residents of Africa experience chronic back pain, which is almost double the worldwide average of 18.1%. Projects begin in September and are focused on World Spine Day.
Europe
Several associations in Finland have events planned for Selkäviikko, which translates to Spine Week. These events are in honor of World Spine Day and National Back Care Week, and you can learn more about them by visiting the Selkäviikko website.
In the UK, Jolly Back is also hosting a Back Health for Teachers campaign to inform educators about the importance of spinal health.
In Italy, Fisiolab and Loft studios have dedicated October 19 to spinal health.
You can find other events by contacting chiropractors or medical professionals in your area. Public health agencies may also have activities planned for October 16.
For an idea of what to expect if you attend a celebration this year, previous events, including 2017's Your Back in Action and 2018's Love Your Spine, are listed on the World Spine Day site.
How Can I Get Involved in World Spine Day?
Host your own event, as we mentioned earlier, or find an event in your area. You don't have to host a large event; you can have a brief meeting at work or share information about the spine with your students.
Here are some simple ways you can celebrate World Spine Day this year:
- Pass out worksheets, such as coloring pages or word searches, to kids
- Ask coworkers to bring one fact about spinal health, such as statistics about back pain or neck problems, to a meeting
- Wear a shirt promoting spinal awareness
- Donate to agencies that participate in World Spine Day
- Send the #GetSpineActive press release to local publications or online sites
- Schedule a spinal exam at Northeast Spine and Sports Medicine
Here are some suggestions from the World Spine Day website:
- Hang a World Spine Day banner in your medical office
- Provide free swimming lessons for World Spine Day
- Hand out brochures at your gym that show the correct way to exercise and hold poses
- Organize a charity run, swim, or walk and donate funds to a spinal charity
- Schedule interviews about spinal health with television or radio stations
Get creative and think of things that your community will enjoy. Raising awareness should be fun, not stressful or tedious.
Why Should I Care About World Spine Day?
Many people around the globe suffer from spinal problems, including back pain, neck pain, and nerve damage. Some statistics that emphasize the severity of these issues are on the World Spine Day website and are provided below, along with a few others:
- Low back pain is the No. 1 cause of disability across the globe.
- Approximately 1 in 2 working Americans experience back pain each year.
- Americans fork out a combined total of more than $50 billion per year on costs related to back pain.
- Nearly 8 in 10 adults experience back pain at some time in their lives.
- Many missed workdays are the result of low back pain.
- Approximately 20% of people with acute low back pain develop chronic low back pain, which can last for a year or longer.
- Back pain can stem from injury, infection, or misuse of the spine.
- Though not as common as back pain, neck pain affects anywhere from 30% to 50% of adults each year.
- Neck pain is more common in women than men, and it primarily affects middle-aged adults.
- Young adults and even children can develop "text neck" from frequent electronic use.
- Chiropractic care can help reduce the risk of developing spinal problems as well as treat pain associated with existing issues.
Even if you aren't personally affected by spinal issues, odds are high that someone you care about experiences these problems.
Though we enjoy celebrating World Spine Day at Northeast Spine and Sports Medicine, spinal health matters every day. We offer a number of services to help patients optimize their spinal health, including chiropractic care, complimentary text neck screenings, physical therapy, and sciatica care.
You don't have to live with pain, whether you've got burning nerve pain in your lower back or sharp cramps in your neck. Contact us today and learn how we can help improve your spinal health.
Thanks for helping us raise awareness about World Spine Day!
