Unless you have suffered from back pain, it is difficult to imagine just how debilitating it can be. But it is a very common problem, affecting up to a third of the adult population in the UK, from schoolchildren to the elderly. Back pain — aching stiffness or acute muscle spasm — is the second most common workrelated condition after stress and, in economic terms the consequences, both to the NHS and industry, are costly.
An estimated £1.6 billion is spent treating back pain in Britain every year, with an additional £5 billion lost through the 180 million working days taken off each year because of the condition. But experts say that much of the chronic suffering could be relieved with simple, but proven, measures to prevent and treat it.
DITCH THE HARD MATTRESS
For years, sleeping on a hard mattress was recommended by GPs and other medical experts as an antidote to back pain. But two years ago researchers in Spain found that softer beds (with a rating of 5.6 out of 10) are more beneficial in alleviating back problems. According to the results of a study published in The Lancet, orthopaedic specialists found that softer mattresses offered back pain sufferers the most relief.The reason may be that softer mattresses put less pressure on the shoulders and hips, allowing people to sleep more naturally.
LEARN THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
Adjusting the way you walk and move, even slightly, can have a profound effect on relieving back pain. A recent study at the University of Vermont found that teaching patients postural awareness methods, such as the Alexander Technique (AT), helped to prevent and cure long-term lower-back problems. Proponents of AT claim that it helps people to learn to move, sit and lie without undue tension or poor posture. A course of 20-30 lessons (£20-£40 each) is normally recommended. Contact the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (www.stat.org.uk).
ACUPUNCTURE
The ancient Chinese therapy is an effective treatment for lower-back pain, according to researchers from the University of Maryland’s school of medicine. Inserting fine needles into some of the 500-plus acupuncture points around the body apparently unblocks the channels of energy, stimulating an internal healing response for many health problems and illnesses. A few sessions are usually required but, according to the British Acupuncture Council (www.acupuncture.org.uk) and the British Medical Acupuncture Society (www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk), changes in your condition should be noticed after four to six treatments.
OSTEOPATHY OR CHIROPRACTIC
Both treatments have been shown in countless studies to assist a speedy recovery from back pain and to be an effective alternative to drugs or surgery for many people. The Ttreatments been approved by the Royal College of General Practitioners as providing “short-term improvement in pain, mobility and patient satisfaction” during the first six weeks of back pain. Typically you will need two to six sessions (£25-£50 each) to treat a lingering back problem. See the General Osteopathic Council (www.osteopathy.org.uk) or the General Chiropractic Council (www.Gcc-uk.org) for registered practitioners.
PILATES
Pilates can help to reduce back pain, according to recent research from the Physiotherapy Department at Queensland University. The popular form of exercise works on strengthening the deeply embedded stabilising muscles which lie close to and support the spine. Special exercises develop the transverse abdominus, a muscle that wraps around the trunk horizontally, like a corset, the multifidus muscle in the lower back and the pelvic floor, all of which are important for controlling the lumbar spine. Contact Body Control Pilates (www.bodycontrol.co.uk) for a qualified instructor.
GADGETS
Very few of many gadgets that claim to provide a cure for back problems have the backing of experts. Not so the Backlife machine, which is currently being trialled in 12 NHS hospitals in the UK. As the patient lies on his or her back with knees positioned over the equipment, it gently rotates the pelvis and stretches the vertebrae and discs apart. Since a lot of back pain is the result of discs in the spine rubbing against the vertebrae, the motion of the machine helps to relieve pain if it is used for 12 minutes a day. Trials have shown that the Backlife machine, which costs around £250, results in a 70 per cent improvement in pain relief. Contact www.backlife.com (08700 770177) for stockists.
LOSE WEIGHT
A study of seven to 15-year-olds at the University of Michigan found no link between the weight of the bags they carried to school and the incidence of backache. But the more overweight children were three times as likely to suffer pain. Being too heavy, whatever your age, “affects posture and alignment and is among the most common causes of back pain”, says Dr Peter Skew, a GP who is also president of the British Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine. “The spine is designed to carry the body’s weight and distribute the loads encountered during rest and activity,” says Louise Sutton, senior lecturer in health and exercise science at Leeds Metropolitan University. “When excess weight is carried, the spine is forced to assimilate the burden, which may lead to structural compromise and damage. The result is often back pain.”
SUPPLEMENTS
Devil’s claw, a herb available in supplement form, is an “outstanding herb for back pain”, says Dr Ann Walker, a researcher in human nutrition at Reading University. She has found that those who took up to 700mg daily in capsule form experienced “a greatly reduced incidence of muscle spasm”, while their “ability to bend down and touch their toes greatly increased”. Another supplement, bromelain, which is extracted from the stem of the pineapple plant, also offers great pain relief, Walker says. Her research, published in the journal Phytomedicine, shows that the active compounds in bromelain — enzymes — have strong anti-inflammatory and painkilling properties. Glucosamine sulphate has been shown to improve back pain caused by arthritis.
GET ACTIVE
Exercise is often overlooked in the treatment and prevention of back pain, says Claire Small, of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. “Regular activity of any sort will help — walking, swimming, yoga and others are all beneficial,” she says. “But the crucial thing is to keep your routine varied so that you develop flexibility, strength and suppleness of joints that are vital to combat pain.” Results of a trial at York and other universities, published last year in the BMJ, showed exercise in combination with spinal manipulation to be effective. Contact the CSP (www.csp.org.uk) for back exercises.
CHANGE YOUR CHAIR
Very often back problems are a result of sitting awkwardly on poorly designed chairs for too long. According to Nia Taylor, chief executive of the charity Back Care (www.backcare.org.uk), your office chair should have “a stable base with five legs in a star shape which adds balance and stability and should be adjustable in height”. She stresses, too, the importance of changing your position every 20 minutes: “Get up and walk to the photocopier, stand up and stretch — anything to avoid staying in a rigid position for too long.” How you sit at home also matters. Slumping on a poorly designed sofa every night can eventually cause poor posture. According to Back Care, more than 50 per cent of schoolchildren are getting some form of back pain, often linked to sedentary lifestyles or to inadequate furniture in schools.
