Most of my patients know that I am not Saskatchewan born or raised. I barely get away with being a Buffalo Bills fan first and a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan second. Before I moved here, I had no idea what minus 50 windchill felt like, what a bunny-hug was or what a perogy tasted like. Since then, all that has changed. I have learned all of that and much more.
As a chiropractor in Saskatchewan, you are bound to see farmers in your office on nearly a daily basis. Surprise, surprise… farmers get spinal pain. My staff knows how much I like to get to know my patients (it is usually the reason I may get behind with my schedule). Getting to know my farming clientele has given me some insight into what it is like to work in agriculture and the stresses they deal with, especially with respect to stress on their backs.
Research is telling us that over 85 per cent of Saskatchewan farmers report musculoskeletal pain, with the majority of that being back pain. Many of my farming patients wonder if back pain is genetic because many of their family members have back pain as well. The reason is actually familial, rather than genetic; farming itself runs in the family and so will the stresses of farming.
Back pain is more prevalent in farmers for a variety of reasons. Firstly, even with improved technology, farming is still, and always will be, physically challenging. Heavy and repetitive lifting, long term sitting, long hours, vibrating machinery, unpredictable livestock and mental stresses all contribute to the incidence of back pain.
There are certain times of the year when farmers tend to hurt themselves more often. Seeding, spraying, harvest, and calving seasons seem to be the more common times. For obvious reasons, these are also times when farmers don’t seek the care they may need soon enough. When the weather is good or when calving is at its peak, I never tell farmers when to come in, they tell me when they can get in. This can result in back issues that are slow to recover or ones that get worse.
Because farmers cannot easily just leave the farm for care (being too busy or just too far away to come to the city for a quick treatment), they must often self-manage their back issues. Taking time to stretch before, during and after a long day, using ergonomic back supports in their tractors, and even asking for help can get farmers through tough times.
I am meeting more and more farmers who are putting more emphasis on not only their back health but their overall health in general. Many farmers are farming less by renting out their land or hiring custom workers during key times. I see more farmers taking time for vacation and for exercise in their not so busy times of the year.
You don’t realize the importance of a healthy back until your back actually starts giving you problems.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
