This whole article developed from my own experience, for the first time, of lower back and shoulder pain. And I can’t help but think this is in some part attributed to my career as a news cameraman. Nowadays, in such an increasingly freelance market in broadcast news, without employers being required to offer any kind of health care benefits to hired-in freelance crews, it’s obviously up to each of us (who value the state of our health) to take an active interest in looking after ourselves.
It’s only since working in what (at times) can be a physically demanding environment that I’ve really started to think about the state of my health. I enjoy my job but I don’t want to become a physical wreck because of it - and I know colleagues who have suffered and been unable to work at times because of stresses and strains due to camerawork. And it was through talking with other people in the industry that I’d become aware the work of chiropractors and potential benefits that the treatment of chiropractic can bring.
I’m 27 and I’m already beginning to experience some aches and pains, so what am I going to feel like in ten or fifteen years time if I don’t take some kind of positive action now? Obviously I wanted find out more about chiropractic and how I might benefit. And so, on a bright autumn afternoon I found myself heading down to Harley Street, in London and in to the practice of Dr. Antoni Jakubowski, who practices a particular type of chiropractic - the Gonstead System.
After seeing me in to his office, and having a brief chat about the kinds of work related stresses and strains cameramen and camerawomen can experience, Dr. Jakubowski began by first explaining what kinds of things cause problems, and potential injury, to our bodies:
“Basically the main reason why human beings experience muscular and skeletal injuries which encompass neck, back, leg and arm pain, headaches… is the result of a trauma of which there are two; One being a macro-trauma, or a ballistic external event like a car accident or a fall of some sort. The other is a micro-trauma which is a repetitive strain type of an injury, so that encompasses occupational stresses and strains – poor ergonomics – classic for camera people. (It also includes) lack of exercise, too much exercise, too much of one type of an exercise - which is why we see a lot of professional sports people like golfers and tennis players”.
The average weight of a fully configured camera (something like a Sony SX DNW-90) is around 19-20lbs, add to that a tripod (with carbon fibre legs) at around 11-12lbs and your rucksack at around 8-9lbs. So that’s an average weight of 38-41lbs. Now you can get an idea of what kinds of little strains, of ‘micro traumatic’ strains, we could potentially be causing our joints when we haul our gear around. Dr. Jakubowski continued:
“So a micro-traumatic stress or strain is something like carrying a camera on your right shoulder for eight hours a day for 20 years in a row. What’ll happen is the ligaments in that part of your body will stretch beyond its elastic limits rendering the joint a bit loose, or what we call hyper mobile, and it reduces the ligament elasticity to the point where it’s a bit too elastic, like over cooked pasta”.
What struck me most was how regular – relatively small - amounts of wear and tear can, over time, cause our joints a significant amount of damage.
So, if we visit a chiropractor for a check-up or with a specific physical complaint and a problem is diagnosed, what does a chiropractor do to treat the damaged area? Dr. Jakubowski explained what form, and how, Gonstead treatment works:
“When we do have ligament weakness that joint will be stuck in the bad position and it’s my job to identify the exact vertebral dis-relationship, or exact joint dis-relationship, whether it’s your shoulder, knee, ankle. To identify which position that bone is out we use complex examination procedures, orthopedic and neurological tests, to rule in and or rule out the problem… because our first and primary rule is to do the patient no harm.
“We’re spinal specialists, but it doesn’t mean we’re only focused on treating the spine because we take care of all joints. A lot of the time you can have a lower back problem but it’s coming from the knee or the ankle, or you can have an arm problem but it’s coming form the neck, due to the nervous system. 50-60% of cases are lower back related - lumbar spine related - and of those the majority of those are all disc related. And just because you don’t have pain it doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have a problem. And pain is always the last to come and pain is always the first to go. Now that saying will be on my tombstone, because it holds true”.
Once a patient has been through the various examination processes, and the chiropractic treatment has commenced, what kinds of things can the patient do to assist the effectiveness of the treatment? Dr Jakubowski explained:
“For a camera person, it’s how you manage that case and what their lifestyle is based around that allows you to assist them long term. I could be treating you and all of a sudden you go back and you’ll spend 12 hours filming something with a camera on your shoulder all day long. Well, that’s pretty much going to slow down your recovery, so patient compliance is of paramount importance. But I realize that we live in a real world here. There’s no such thing as a perfect world and our rule is to assist our patients to get to that positive end point - that light at the end of the tunnel - as quickly as possible. But it’s team work and we have to work together, which is the key” .
“I see a number of patients that do exactly what you guys do. Some of them that drive the studio cameras and some of them that hold them. What you need to do is exercise your whole body because you’re carrying the camera on your shoulder. You need upper body work, you need to make sure that your shoulders are strong, your neck, biceps, triceps, chest, back and stomach are all able to withstand the weight of the camera. So it just makes sense, especially you guys doing what you do, to stay muscularly strong. It doesn’t mean you have to turn out like Arnold Schwarzenegger because that’s just not the case at all. You can work out half an hour 2 to 3 times a week and develop a sufficient amount of muscular tone - more than sufficient - to enable you to not only do that job without any aches and pains but to do it for a long, long time”.
But before you all rush out and enroll at Gold’s gym to start getting all pumped-up, Dr. Jakubowski went on to explain the importance of, not only the right form of exercise, but very importantly embarking on an exercise program at the right point in the chiropractic treatment:
“Exercise is beneficial at a certain time in order to assist in stability. But it’s more detrimental to send a brand new patient who’s got an obvious joint problem to do any of these things without actually treating it properly. Because what we’re doing is rehabilitating the joint into its normal three-dimensional motion and then the exercise can be applied after in a respect to help stabilize the weak area. I always look at the problem that we see here as that we’ve got one chance and we might as well do it right the first time because our bodies function from our spines working correctly”.
As we wrapped up the interview I rounded off by asking Dr. Jakubowski about his thoughts on his chiropractic work, and if there are any general pieces of advice he could think of to assist us in our day-to-day working lives.
“My bit of advice to people that do what you do would be to ensure that you’re physically fit and able to do the job. And probably go and see a chiropractor once every six months, as a conservative step to prevent a problem. And just because you don’t have pain doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have a problem. Pain is always the last to come and the first to go, so if you can get it before it comes, then great".
I’m a cameraman so I’m obviously not in any position to offer any medical advice. But let’s always watch and listen and grow wiser and, even if you never go and see a chiropractor, here’s to good health and well-being and (if you want, with the help of people like Dr. Jakubowski) hopefully a pain and strain free future.
The British Chiropractic Association advises the following: In the UK always look for a BCA chiropractor, who will have had a minimum of four years full-time training at an internationally recognized college, plus an extra postgraduate year in clinic to achieve a diploma in chiropractic and full membership of the association.
The following guidelines and instructions are provided by Gonstead Clinics (UK)
Instructions for home care for a spinal injury
- Do not apply heat unless instructed by your Chiropractor
- Do not take hot baths with acute low back problems unless instructed to do so.
- Do not sleep on a soft bed. Sleep in a firm bed, or a king-sized bed. To arise, turn to unaffected side, draw knees up, place feet on floor, push yourself to a sitting position sideways, stand straight up keeping back straight.
- Do not sleep on your abdomen. Sleep on your side with one or both knees slightly bent. If on your back, place pillow under knees.
- Do not sit on soft or deep chairs or sofas.
- Do not walk up or down stairs more than absolutely necessary.
- Do not walk on rough terrain.
- Do not lift.
- Do not twist body sharply or bend backwards forcefully.
- Do not stoop forward with knees straight. Squat down, using you knees and strong leg muscles, not your back.
- Do not sit or drive with legs straight out; keep knees slightly bent.
- Do not stand for long periods of time. If necessary, such as for ironing, keep on foot on a low stool. This will relieve backache.
- Do not wear high heels, unless instructed to do so by your doctor.
- Sleep with one pillow only to support your head and neck.
Exercise Rules
When your back pain is relieved, regular exercise within your ability and tolerance is important. Your Doctor of Chiropractic knows which exercises are best for you and your particular condition. Follow his or her instructions:
Co-operation – co-operate with your Chiropractor and be patient. Give yourself the time required for nature to affect a cure. Although Chiropractic treats causes, it is only nature that actually heals. It takes time for the natural harmony of health to return to sick bodies. Time is a great healer.
When bending – do not bend from the waist unless you also bend your knees.
When driving – the car seat should be firm and positioned so that you can operate the pedals with your knees slightly bent. On long drives, stop occasionally, get out of the car, stretch and move around. When getting in or out of the car attempt to keep the back as straight as possible.
When lifting – use your leg muscles rather than your back.
When sleeping – be sure that you have a good mattress and box spring. Your Doctor of Chiropractic can advise which bedding is best for you.
Important – if back symptoms persist or return, do not wait for the condition to become severe. See your Doctor of Chiropractic promptly. Preventative care is important once the pain has been eliminated.
Ice instructions
- Obtain an ice pack, these can be purchased from the clinic (a pack of frozen peas or ice cubes in a plastic bag is just as good).
- Apply ice pack to the affected area for 15-20 minutes whilst lying face up or on your side.
- Repeat step 2 four to six times daily unless otherwise instructed.
What caused your back or neck conditions?
16 plus reasons to have your spine checked by a Chiropractor – back and neck conditions are caused by any stress that overwhelms your body:
A difficult birth or delivery, A car accident, A fall no matter how long ago (even as a baby), Poor posture, Poor diet, Using the same body position over and over at work and at play, Intense emotional stress, Pushing yourself too hard, Sedentary lifestyle, Dental work, Drug use, Medications, Surgery, Working in an awkward position, An emotional shock when energy is low, Long car journeys, Preventative Health Check.
My thanks go to the following people for their assistance with this article:
Dr. A.M. Jakubowski D.C.*
Doctor of Chiropractic
Suites 6 & 7 22 Harley Street
London W1N 1AP
*Member of the International and British Chiropractic Associations
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7637 2920
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7323 0869
Website: www.gonstead.com
Manya McMahon
Marketing coordinator
British Chiropractic Association
17 Blagrave Street Reading RG1 1QB
Tel: +44 (0) 118 950 5950
Fax: +44 (0) 118 958 8946
Website: www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk
Who’s Gonna Take The Weight? © Matt Kime tvcameramen.com 2000.
Instructions for home care for a spinal injury / Exercise rules / Ice instructions / What caused your back or neck conditions? and all images © Gonstead Clinics UK 2000.
