It’s that magical time of year when the towns Christmas lights go up, and the Physical Therapy clinic is crammed full of cookies and tins of chocolate, and after working hard all year, our festive office party is just around the corner.

Have you got your Christmas parties scribbled on your calendar already?

If you’re anything like my friends and family, you would have had your Christmas parties scheduled in your diary for weeks! (Possibly your party outfit planned too? Like most of the girls in my office!)

While planning what you’re going to wear and how you’re going to get home from your festive get-together’s, have you ever thought about the morning after?

How your head is going to feel after all of those glasses of mulled wine and bottles of beer. The empty bottles and leftover crumbs you’ll have to clean up. And even how your feet are going to feel after dancing the night away?

Now I’m not trying to put a downer on your Christmas party plans, that’s not why I’m writing this to you today… I want you to make the most of your festive celebrations and feel great the next day!

Why? Well let me share with you a quick story about one of my patients from last year…

Sarah came to see me at the end of January suffering with a bad back.

As a manager of a coffee shop, Sarah is on her feet all day long, so she tends to wear flat cushioned shoes so her feet remain comfortable.

But what happened to Sarah was that she decided to treat herself to a brand new pair of heels especially for her office Christmas party. And even though the right pair of heels can make an outfit complete, they can also cause a few problems…

Aching, swollen feet, and worse yet – terrible back pain.

Of course, while you’re enjoying yourself it probably doesn’t cross your mind. Sure, your feet may feel a bit sore while you’re dancing, but that’s normal right?

The thing is, Sarah woke up the next day in agony, not from drinking a bit too much, but from wearing her new pair of heels all night long.

The pain in Sarah’s back was so bad the next day she could barely get out of bed.

A few days later the pain eased off, but as soon as she went back to  work, a few hours into her shift and her back was making it painful to walk around. Even driving and putting her shoes on became difficult.

Here’s why:

Wearing high heels (especially when you’re on your feet for hours) increases the pressure through your back by about 25 times. Heels can alter the way you walk (as it’s an unnatural position for your body to be in), which can lead to bad posture – bringing on back pain and all sorts of problems.

Now although it’s tempting to put on a pair of heels for any special occasion, if you know for most of the time you’re there you’re going to be standing, I’d advise you to go for a soft cushioned pair of shoes instead. Your back and your feet will thank you for it.

And with all that dancing that happens at Christmas parties once everyone has loosened up, do you really want to suffer with a bad back for days, even weeks, after?

I know heels may look good and make you feel great at the time – but is back pain that stops you in your tracks fashionable?

It’s definitely not worth it.

And a general tip for the guys and girls – to help ease those next day aches and pains, drink plenty of water. And if you forget to drink lots of it before you go to bed, drink a couple of glasses as soon as you wake to help restore the fluids in your body.

Also hot and rejuvenating shower as soon as you wake will leave you feeling ten times better. It’ll help raise your body temperature and relax your muscles so you’re not left with lots of tension.

If you’re suffering with back pain, or would like to know top tips on how to prevent it… here’s a free special report with 5 quick easy ways to live with less back pain: