'Motion is lotion': Secrets to shielding your spine and banishing pain for good

Nearly everyone has experienced some form of back pain in their lives, but despite it being so common, we still hunch in front of our laptops and other mobile devices and ignore some of our daily habits, which only serve to put more pressure on our backs. In light of this, how can we start showing our spines and related structures some care? A physiotherapist sheds some light on how to improve our posture.

The most common back issues are mechanical, which relates to pain arising from the structures in the spine, such as discs, muscles, ligaments and joints.

"This type of back pain is very common and is caused by poor posture and overuse," says Esther Miller, a physiotherapist based in Cape Town.