Why Back and Neck Pain Are So Common in Dubai

Dubai is a city that keeps you moving. But strangely, a lot of the problems we see in clinic come from not moving enough.

Long days behind a laptop. Forty minutes sitting in traffic. Hours looking down at a phone. A flight to Europe followed by another full day at the office.

Then Friday arrives and we try to undo the whole week with an intense gym session, a game of padel or a long run. This is our Dubai combination nowadays.

At ONE Chiropractic Studio in JLT, we see people every week who are surprised that their neck or lower back has become painful because there was no obvious injury and increasingly often, there wasn't one.

It usually starts small

A stiff neck in the morning. A lower back that feels tight after driving or an ache when putting the morning shoes on. A headache towards the end of the working day.

Maybe you notice that you're constantly stretching your neck or twisting your back to try to get some relief. These things are easy to ignore when you're busy. The problem is that our bodies are very good at adapting, until eventually they aren't.

Dr Max Gregor-Smith, chiropractor and co-founder of ONE Chiropractic Studio, says this is something he sees regularly in the Dubai clinic.

"People often expect there to be one big event that caused their problem. More often, it's hundreds of small things repeated every day. How we sit, how much we move, how we train and how well we recover all matter."

Dubai has its own set of challenges

Spend some time watching people in any Dubai coffee shop and you'll see it. Laptop open. Phone beside it. Head slowly creeping forward. Then we leave the coffee shop and sit in the car.

For many people, eight or ten hours can pass without the body moving through anything close to its normal range of motion. The opposite can also be a problem... Dubai has a very active population. Gyms are everywhere, running clubs are growing, and padel has become almost impossible to avoid.

Exercise is fantastic, but going from five days of sitting to a hard weekend workout can expose areas that haven't been moving particularly well.

Pain isn't always where the problem started

This is one of the things people find most interesting during their first chiropractic assessment. Where you feel discomfort isn't necessarily the only place that needs attention.

A stiff mid-back can change how the neck moves. Restricted hip movement can alter the load going through the lower back. An old ankle or knee problem can even change the way someone walks and trains. That is why a good assessment matters.

At ONE Chiropractic Studio, a first visit includes a health consultation, posture and movement assessment, neurological and orthopaedic examination and, when appropriate, a chiropractic adjustment. The aim is to understand the person rather than simply chase the painful area.

What does a chiropractor actually do?

There is still a perception that chiropractic is simply about "cracking your back." Modern chiropractic care is much broader than that.

A chiropractor assesses how the joints of the spine and body are moving, along with posture, movement and the relationship between the spine and nervous system. Sessions may include specific chiropractic adjustments, movement advice, exercises and changes to everyday habits.

For someone searching for a chiropractor in Dubai, it is worth looking for a clinic that takes time to assess why the problem may be occurring rather than offering exactly the same treatment to everyone.

At ONE Chiropractic Studio, the Dubai clinic is in Platinum Tower, JLT, close to Dubai Marina and DMCC Metro Station. The team includes internationally trained chiropractors and physiotherapists, and care plans are built around each patient's individual findings and goals.

Small changes make a surprisingly big difference

You don't need to redesign your life. If you work at a desk, get up regularly. Walk while you're taking a phone call. Change position instead of searching for one "perfect" posture and trying to hold it for eight hours.

If you train, think about mobility and recovery as well as strength. And pay attention to the little warning signs. That stiff neck you've had every morning for three months might be worth addressing before it becomes the reason you can't turn your head.

The same goes for the back that only hurts after a long drive or the headache that seems to arrive every Thursday afternoon.

The goal should be bigger than getting out of pain

Pain is usually what gets someone through the clinic door, but it shouldn't necessarily be the end goal.

Being able to work without constantly thinking about your neck is better. Getting back to the gym confidently is better. Picking up your children without worrying about your back is better.

Dubai gives us an incredible amount to do.. our bodies should allow us to enjoy it.