Back Pain due to face painting for so long...

You've given me some thought about this subject. I'm not the best for taking breaks but if we look at the normal working day in offices etc. compared to how much stress we put our body under...

After two hours work they take a 15 min (coffee/pee) break. After another two hours they take a lunch break that can range from 30 mins to 1 hour. Again they have a 15 min (coffee/pee) break in the middle of the next four hours. We're self employed, if we dont' look after ourselves, who will??

Naprosyn prescription. OTC version is Aleve. Which is an NSAID - non-steroid anti-inflamatory drug.

Strengthen the abs. That will help achy backs.

If you are considering a booster, check out these:

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=yellbacom-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000YFY64W

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=yellbacom-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B00029T4D8

Hi,would like some advice,I have been face painting for 24 days,every evening 3-4 hours per evening,my neck is now in extreme pain and I keep going dizzy,anyone help

Telic shoes and a director's chair are my backs avers this year...

time for a break or else be sure to move around, stretch, etc periodically

Thanks

Dear bertiboo1:
Welcome to The Forum!
I face paint standing up 18 days in a row, 8 hours a day.
I used to sit, and I had terrible back pain.  Now, I stand, and I may have sore feet sometimes... and that is okay with me.  I can come home and soak my feet and put them up.  I cannot put my back up.
i have placed a "bed reading pillow" in my tall director's chair to push the child forward.  I also bring a few small pillows to make a 'ramp' if the child is too twitchy.... I have the child lay down on the pillows and I walk behind them and paint them from behind while they are laying down.
This year, I am using a tall 3 step ladder.
I LOVE IT!
The children clamber up by themselves and they cannot lean back away from me.  The parents cannot sit in the step stool, so there is another issue that is taken care of for me.  I am hired to paint only children 3 years and up.
Before the day begins, I am doing jumping jacks, planks, sit ups and lunges.  When I arrive at the job, and we are all set up, I do stretches for our shoulders, neck, arms, fingers, wrists, and ankles.  I have been trying to get my team to arrive earlier to do this with me  I suspect they think I am weird and old.... well, maybe I am both!
My back no longer hurts now!
xoxo

Thanks so much for your help x

For those of us who cannot stand:
My niece Kathie, who face painted for years, taught me this method. Have the child sit, knees together between mine & place their hands on my knees. This prevents them from leaning further & further back as I paint them, which causes a backache.
If I bring my own chairs, I took Lily Walters Schermerhorn's  advice and found a folding camp chair (Costco) with arms. I ask all but the smallest child to lean forward, placing their hands on the chair arms. As long as I don't lean forward, I can paint all day!
Hope some of our suggestions help minimize your discomfort.

Like many others my back (and mainly my shoulders!) kill me with long events. As a result I have a high directors chair for children to sit in and I stand. If they are going to be adults I try and use a bar stool so that they're the right height.

If you really don't like standing or you decide to sit, can I suggest kneeling for a while? It's not a long term fix but if the children are in a regular chair you can kneel on one of those gardeners pads. It straightens your back out for a while and gives you a 20 minute little break, after all 'a change is as good as a rest'!

I used to get it really bad in my shoulder blades, just ached. I'm a man so I'm taller than most of the other face painters. The director chair I have just isn't tall enough so eventually I built a stand to put my chair on which raised the kids up more for me. That helped a lot, no more hunched over painting. Also the first thing I do is position the child to my liking. I ask them to sit forward (so they are close to me to avoid reaching), then I raise their face up at mine and ask them to hold right there and be very still. Made a HUGE difference. Elevate them and get them as close as possible to avoid reaching.