More and more people are experiencing back pain in the UK. In May of last year, the Chartered Institute of Physiotherapists reported a 27% rise in the number of patients awaiting musculoskeletal treatments, including back pain, over a two-year period. With an aging population this will only increase.
Not all back pain is a result of injury, and in these circumstances there’s a number of things you can do to manage your back pain and keep yourself moving. Jodie Walters, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, shares advice for preventing and managing back pain.
Preventing back pain is possible by having a good baseline level of fitness through regular cardiovascular exercise and strengthening exercises.
- If your job involves heavy and manual tasks, build these up gradually as you can injure yourself if you do too much too soon.
- If you sit at a desk for work, or have to work in similar positions for long periods of time, take regular rests and movement breaks.
- Maintaining general back stretches and exercises each day can help maintain flexibility and strength.
If you do have back pain, take a ‘little and often’ approach.
- Pace yourself with your daily tasks as well as taking regular movement breaks for stretching and to change position.
- Take short term, appropriate pain medication to help you stay active at the advice of your doctor.
- Above all – keep moving. Movement helps your muscles from getting too tight and causing more pain.
Positive thinking and managing your stress can help improve your sleep and help you relax. This is really important when dealing with back pain as the more tension you hold in your body, the more you’ll feel pain. A few ways to manage your mindset include:
- Manage the stressors in your life. Ongoing unresolved distress in your life will wind up your body’s fight and flight system, raising tension in your back muscles which is likely to cause more frequent flare-ups. Some of your daily stressors within your home or work life can be difficult to keep on top of but if you can find ways to manage these better, you will find that your back will be much less troublesome.
- Focus on a structured plan to help you sleep better. Refreshing sleep is essential for our general health and well-being. Avoiding using technology including computers, mobile phones and television before bed and having a bedtime routine leading up to sleep are simple strategies you can use to make refreshing sleep more likely.
- Clear your mind. If you change your thinking, you could change your back pain
Thinking negatively can exacerbate pain. You can try what’s called the 7-11 breathing method to calm your body and bring your focus away from your pain and negative thoughts. Breathe in for a count of 7, and out for 11. Do this for 5-10 minutes and you should find your body relax and help clear your mind.
Whilst these tips may not work immediately, persevere with them. You should see gradual improvements overtime, but if your back pain worsens and you’re having problems with numbness or with bladder/bowel function it’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional about your symptoms.
Did you know you can choose where you are treated on the NHS? You can choose the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and self-refer for physiotherapy. For more information visit: Royal Orthopaedic Hospital - Therapy
