“Lower back pain is a common complaint and accidents involving the back, although essentially non-fatal, can be severely disabling and result in a reduction in the quality of life.”

This was stated by Godwin Said, Health and Safety Officer at Bank of Valletta, during a seminar dedicated to office workers who spend most of their time at work sitting in front of a visual display unit (VDU).

“Bank of Valletta is very conscious of the state of health of its employees. This seminar is aimed at making our employees conscious of any damage resulting from bad posture and correcting them, resulting in a better quality of life,” concluded Mr Said.

The seminar – courtesy of the Fortina Spa Resort – was delivered by the director of rehabilitation at the Spa, Alan Zammit and Andre Abdilla Bason, physiotherapist-hydrotherapy manager. Mr Zammit delivered a presentation on work related injuries and the importance of good posture as well as exercise. He explained how back, neck, knee or wrist pains occur, how these can be reduced and sometimes eliminated. Simple corrections in one’s posture and daily activities can reduce the load on one’s neck and back.

Karla Melita Fabri, senior pilates instructor at the Fortina Spa Resort, gave a practical demonstration of stretching exercises which can be done in the comfort of one’s home in order to help strengthen the upper body and reduce the risk of injury in the lower back region.