Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

Full of Festive Spirit

Don’t Be An Office Party Casualty Warns The British Chiropractic Association


It is Christmas, the time for festive cheer and for many office workers the time to drink and be merry…….very merry! Whilst ‘wandering hands’ and saucy scandals are rife at any office bash, The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) warns that an influx of alcohol fuelled injuries are certainly on the cards for many this year.

An alarming 90% of BCA chiropractors have treated patients with injuries caused by alcohol, and see an average of 2,400 patients per month with injuries sustained ‘under the influence’ and no doubt these figures are set to rise dramatically over the festive season.

Along with superficial injuries such as bruises and grazes, the three most common alcohol-induced injures are to: hands (24%), knees/legs (20%) and ankles (17%).

Despite continuous health warnings about drinking nearly 1 in 5 of the population choose to drink in excess a ‘few times’ on an average week and nearly a third of the nation (30%) have injured themselves so badly whilst drunk that they felt the need to visit a medical practitioner.

Tim Hutchful from the British Chiropractic Association comments: “Alcohol boosts confidence and makes people feel less inhibited and, when the ‘invincible’ factor kicks in, people lay themselves open to injury. Many patients are embarrassed about injuring themselves when drunk and aren't always honest about the cause of the injury, which in itself can hinder the treatment they receive.

“It’s not just bumps and falls you need to watch out for,” Tim continues, “Excess alcohol impairs your judgement and acts as a diuretic, leaving you dehydrated and causing your muscles to ache. Couple this with the fact that alcohol can also irritate your stomach, you could also leave yourself feeling nauseous too – not great in the run up to Christmas!”

Despite over 20% of people injuring themselves when drunk and 16% of people having scared themselves with the injuries they have sustained whilst drunk, it seems next year the story will be exactly the same - only 2% have been put off alcohol permanently as a result.

The British Chiropractic Association provides some guidelines for making sure you don’t end up an office party casualty this Christmas:

•Stick to the Government's recommended unit guidelines (2-3 units per day for a woman and 3-4 units per day for a man). You don’t have to drink to excess to enjoy yourself. For more info on units and responsible drinking visit www.drinkaware.co.uk
•Make sure you drink plenty of water – before, after and whilst consuming alcohol and always eat a meal before drinking
•Avoid mixing your drinks
•Keep steady on your feet by wearing sensible shoes when you go out
•If you injure yourself, make sure you give the full and accurate background to whichever medical professional you seek help from; it could make a lot of difference to the diagnosis and treatment of any injury or other problem
•Pain is a warning sign – do not ignore it. If you do injure yourself seek advice from a chiropractor or medical practitioner

To find out more information about the BCA please visit www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk
or call 0118 950 5950

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BCA Press Enquiries: Sara Bailey/Sasha Mattus
Publicasity
Tel: 020 7632 2400, Fax: 020 7240 2520 Email: bca@publicasity.co.uk