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Why back pain can get worse in winter

Apr 23, 2021

Why back
pain can get worse in winter

So a
question that keeps cropping up in the clinic frequently over the past few
weeks is….

Why does my
back feel more stiff and painful in the colder months?

These
are the type of aches that suddenly get a bit more annoying, nagging and
painful on a daily basis… a bit like what’s been happening to one of our
patients

“Joan”

…

Joan
has been suffering with an aching lower back for a few months now and last
winter her back got so bad, it stopped her from taking her dog out for a walk
on Boxing Day with the family around Hillsborough Lake.

And
because Joan didn’t want her lower back pain to get in the way of her family
tradition this year, she thought she’d book an appointment with her doctor.

The GP
advised her that her lower back was very tight and sent her straight to see a
Physio at the NHS…

But
the thing is with the NHS, all they did was give Joan a few exercises and no
hands on treatment.

This
meant she never understood what was REALLY going on and why her back pain was
still getting in the way.

So as
well as doing exercises that weren’t even making a difference, Joan also went
out and bought some painkillers.

But
the problem is

all the
painkillers do is mask the pain,

NOT take it away!

If
you’re like Joan and struggling to put your finger on why your lower back pain
gets worse this time of year, I can assure you,

you’re not alone.

In
fact, this is something that many men and women aged 50+ come to see us with at
the clinic.

So
what’s one of the reasons why your back pain gets worse around this time of
year?

Here’s
the thing… the long winter months and sustained periods of inactivity can be
the root cause of what I call sudden

‘lifelong back
pain’.

So here’s the WHY!

You
see, if your muscles and joints get a long rest in the winter, there’s a chance
they will grow weak and stiff by the time spring comes around when you feel
like being more active.

And if
you’ve not been as active as you were during the spring and summer time when it
gets colder, then this could risk your back pain getting even worse!

So,
with that in mind

here’s a big tip
to help you avoid making this mistake:

seize any and every opportunity you
have during the winter to get active and keep your body mobile and vital muscle
strong.

  • Get to a Pilates class, and get strong and mobile

  • Wrap
    up warm and go for a 20 minute walk.

  • Walk
    with friends and grab a coffee to keep you warm.

  • Take
    the stairs instead of the lift or escalator.

  • Avoid
    sitting for long periods.

  • Set a
    reminder to move and do a stretch every hour, even from your office chair.

Then
if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to avoid wasting time at the doctors office and
being given exercises that just don’t work.

Don’t
let back pain creep up on you this Winter.

P.S.

If
back pain is troubling you right now, or if you’ve noticed any aches and pains
starting to creep up on you,

click here to
download our FREE tips

report
with quick and simple tips to help ease low-back pain:

Back Pain

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Physiotherapist
  • Are you comfortable working with different people to achieve their health goals?
  • Are you stuck in a boring job with little chance of learning, development or career opportunity?
  • Do you want a fresh flexible opportunity that will allow you to grow professionally and personally?
  • Our dynamic and fun business is looking for the right person to join the team.

Ideal Characteristics Required 

  • People person
  • Highly motivated
  • Outstanding references
  • You actually want to learn and work

Why work at Gav Noble Physiotherapy? 

  • Join an established, respected and busy set of clinics

  • Excellent work environment with learning opportunities in both Clinical & Business

Skills Required 

  • Commitment to ongoing professional development
  • Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team
  • Practical and able to problem solve
  • Demonstrate ability to market and advertise your skills
  • Able to use a computer
  • Strong musculo-skeletal and manual therapy background
  • Relevant Qualification 

Desirable skills/interest 

  • Manual therapy
  • Pilates training
  • Dry needling
  • Kinesio tape
  • Marketing/Business
  • Previous MSK Private Practice background

Perks

  • Opportunities for developing manual therapy skills.
  • Mixed Caseload
  • Flexibility, accountability, autonomy, transparency
  • Ability to make changes and improvements to clinical practice easily and quickly.
  • Flexibility and freedom to be creative in your approach with patient care
  • Flexible working hours
Client Care Specialist

THIS JOB WILL BE PERFECT FOR YOU IF:

  • Have amazing personal and phone communication skills
  • Have a record of speaking to people at length and the ability to deal with complaints in an empathetic manner
  • An understanding of KPIs in business and the ability to optomise their own performance
  • Help our clients get the best outcomes they can
  • Want to learn on the job and are keen in evolve your current skills
  • Computer and Social Media Literate
  • Able to handle taking payments and managing money

THE OPPORTUNITY:

  • Join a hard working, fun group who enjoy making a difference every day you come into the clinic
  • The opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives and health through communication and education

IF YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF:

  • Helping potential clients determine if our clinic is the right fit for them and their problem?
  • Answering and returning phone calls of potential, current and past clients?

JOB TITLE: Client Care Specialist

  • Are you comfortable with talking to strangers both in person and on the phone?
  • Are you a motivated to learn?
  • Is being “organised” a top priority in your life and are you able to multi-task and prioritize projects, while simultaneously meeting deadlines and prioritizing your day?
  • Can you communicate effectively with people from all different backgrounds – both written and verbal?
  • Are you able to speak up when you see something that is not working and can you anticipate the needs of other people because you show up for work knowing that the smallest details always make the difference?
  • Do you have a positive outlook on life? Are you flexible and open to change, committed to learning?

THE ROLE:

  • You will be responsible for managing a busy front desk and waiting room.
  • experience, meeting and greeting our patients, answering the phone, converting inquires into paying patients and ensuring that all of our patients are looked after and made to feel welcomed whenever they enter your world.
  • Ultimately, your job is to help us grow the revenue of the clinic by booking in new patients via the phone or those who walk into our clinic directly and excelling at retaining those patients as lifelong customers of the business.
  • You’ll do that by creating the type of customer service experience that patients will be happy to pay for – and just as happy to tell others about.

THE TASKS:

  • Communicate the value of our services (in person and on the phone) and be able to explain how what we do, is worth the price we are asking
  • Successfully handle price objections.
  • Hold a lengthy (at least 15-20 minute) conversation with new patients on the phone ensuring that patients are committed and bought into our service.
  • Provide an exceptional waiting room environment for our patients that they’ll look forward to coming back to.
  • Ensure that people who call requesting appointments are placed on schedule and understand the true time and cost commitment involved in physical therapy.
  • Ensure people show up excited for their first appointment after scheduling.
  • Communicate with patients before, during and after appointments to ensure satisfaction is being achieved.
  • Ensure that all invoices are raised on time, every time and are sent to the appropriate person (in house or externally).
  • Organise and plan all schedules – maximising efficiency and revenue for the clinic.
  • Foster deep relationships with patients ensuring NP score hits agreed levels.
  • Develop and regularly update the procedures library so that every aspect of the role is documented and can be achieved by anyone else in the business.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES NEEDED:

  • Be able to hold meaningful conversations with prospective patients on the phone for longer than 20 minutes (empathy).
  • Be able to answer all questions asked on the phone in a such a way that increases the likelihood that the person asking will want to become a customer (insightful and knowledgeable).
  • Recall names and faces of patients and in doing so making all our patients feel welcomed and remembered.
  • Provide a warm and welcoming greeting to patients when they arrive in the clinic (experience).
  • Organisation and planning: plans and organises, schedules and budgets in an efficient, productive manner.
  • Focuses on key priorities.
  • Follow through on commitments: lives up to verbal and written agreements regardless of personal cost.
  • Demonstrate an ability to quickly and proficiently understand and absorb new information.
  • Attention to detail: does not let important details slip through the cracks.
  • Persistence: demonstrate tenacity and willingness to go the distance to get something done.
  • Proactivity: acts without being told what to do.
  • Bring new ideas to the company.

WHAT WE WILL DO FOR YOU:

  • Provide you with ongoing training and support in the field of customer service and front desk administration.
  • Give you an amazing environment to work in that includes working with a team of wonderful and very supportive staff – as well as very
  • friendly customers.
  • Opportunity to develop and grow in a team that is value driven and strongly encourages personality based service.
  • Competitive salary with chance to earn even more as we grow as a result of your impact.

Salary: On Application.

Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours.