Back pain in the UK

Back pain and related musculoskeletal disorders are the largest cause of work-related absence in the UK, with the average worker affected by such conditions spending 17 days off a year.

Nationally, back/musculoskeletal injuries amount to 10 million work days being lost every year, at an annual cost of L600m to employers. At any one time an estimated one million adults in the UK are suffering from musculoskeletal disorders.

In short, back pain and related conditions are a big problem for UK businesses.

Open day aims to raise awareness of back pain treatment

People were able to bone up on taking care of their back at an open day in Bath.

Around 60 people dropped into an information day held by the Oldfield Osteopathic Clinic at Green Park Station to find out what they could do to limit the risk of back pain.

A range of therapists were available to answer questions, while Chris Cook, a Bath Rugby academy player, and Danielle Goodman, who represented Great Britain in the triathlon, spoke to shoppers about their experiences with pain.

The event was held to mark Back Awareness Week, and osteopath at the Oldfield Park clinic Dave Inman said: "Back pain can really affect a person's life and make it hard to do simple, everyday tasks."

It is estimated that four out of five adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives.

The British Osteopathic Association found that simply changing the way you sit or being more aware of your posture could reduce the risks of back pain in later life.

Massage Therapy For Back Pain

People who get chronic back pain will tell you that it is a life-altering ailment. It has serious implications on the ease of carrying out daily activities and function. Back pain sufferers can feel completely disabled by their condition and therefore, prone to depression.

Back pain is one of the most common ailments in adults and sub adult today, it can be caused by something simple as a poor lifting habit or even poor sleeping habits. This can become a very large problem, as this type of pain really has no boundaries and can last from hours to months. This is a very long time for someone to suffer this type of pain, as sometimes it can be very excruciating.

In terms of treatment, there are several. These include pills, and therapy, and braces, and acupuncture. However, one method stands out as being effective in helping people with their back pain: massage therapy.

Massage therapy for back pain is a low risk, and non-invasive method of treatment. Not only will this method help in the pain aspect, it also aids in the release of natural chemicals the body produces known as Endorphins. This is great for people who suffer from acute pains.

Historically, the use of massage therapy was not readily accepted by conventional medicine as a treatment of back pain or any other pains for that matter. However, the medical society now accepts this method as a valid complementary treatment, recognising the many therapeutic benefits that it brings.

The aim of massage therapy is quite simple; it increases circulation and blood flow that the affected area with the muscles needs. This stimulates the rejuvenation of the tissues and muscles surrounding the affected area, promoting a relaxed and stress-less flow of blood. Many times people that have back problems; they are not quite sure why they have them. Some feel they have not had an injury to any muscles in the back area so they should not be suffering.

The fact is that there are many reasons that the back can be hurting you. If there is an injury to the bone structure in the back then the muscles surrounding the injury will then become very tense in order to protect the affected bone injury. This will only make the back tired and weak, once it is at that point it will pain the person with a great deal of trouble relieving the said pain.

Back pain can easily stop you from doing what comes natural for you such as sitting or walking. This will easily become a major problem if it happens when you are in need to work, and have no other means of income. It is also known that back problems are not the hardest thing for doctors to detect or diagnose. Hence your employers and insurance companies will not be too happy either at your reason of not being able to function well.

Out of all, clearly the worst would have to be lower chronic back pain. This is the area just above the tailbone and it can be an ongoing nightmare for some. In this situations, massage therapy can bring much relief. If you are able to ease the pain, you will find that just being able to do the little things in life is a cause for celebration!