|
Current medical advice is backed up by
research supported by doctors and physiotherapists. But it might
not be enough to convince people with back pain that they should stay
as mobile and active as possible. And there is still a belief among
sufferers and even among some health professionals that exercise will
make their back pain worse.
Dispelling the myth
"Although a bad back is painful, it usually doesn’t mean that
it’s anything serious," says research physiotherapist at King's
College London, Duncan Critchley. "There is a often a mismatch between
how painful it is and how serious the condition is in most cases.
"And because your back hurts
doesn’t mean that movement and exercise is doing further damage. In
fact the opposite is true; the less exercise you do, the muscles in
the back become weak and worse it will get, and so it spirals into a
vicious circle." Keeping mobile will help to prevent an attack of back
pain becoming chronic (long-term).
The vicious circle
If the condition does become chronic, people with back pain can
often lose confidence, cut down on their usual activities, and become
depressed and anxious. It's known that people who are depressed have a
lower pain threshold, and are in particular need of support.
Which exercises work best?
Although research has shown that exercise and manipulation can
be very helpful for people with back pain, it is not yet known which
specific exercises work the best. arc is
currently spending more than £2million on research into back pain,
including several clinical trials around the UK aiming to establish
the most effective types of exercise or manipulation, although
probably different types of exercises will be shown to be effective
for different people.
A free booklet on back pain, which includes advice on self-help and
exercises is available free of charge from arc
on 0870 8505000 or at
info@arc.org.uk .
Top tips from arc for easing back pain:
-
Exercise! Join a keep fit class, start
swimming, get an exercise bike, but make sure it’s something you
enjoy and then stick to it regularly. It's worth making time for.
-
If your back pain persists, make sure
you are referred to a physiotherapist, who will be able to recommend
a programme of exercises to strengthen your back by building up
muscle strength and regain flexibility.
-
Don't rest for too long after the start
of the pain – no more than two to three days. Then gradually
increase your normal activities, avoiding painful movements at
first.
-
Don’t sit for too long in one position,
especially bent over a computer screen or slumped in a chair.
-
Stay in work where possible. Go back as
soon as you are able, part time at first. Seek an ergonomic
assessment of your workstation.
-
Find out as much as you can about back
pain. Education is the key to understanding why it happens and how
to prevent it getting worse.
-
Try manipulation (performed by
physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors). It may offer
short-term relief.
-
Take painkillers as and when you need
to.
-
Try and maintain a positive attitude.
Depression and anxiety are closely linked to back pain.
|
|
laterlife interest
The above article is part of the features section of
laterlife.com called laterlife interest.
laterlife interest
contains a variety of articles of interest for visitors
to laterlife.com written by a number of experienced and
new journalists.
It includes both one off articles and
also regular columns of a more specialist nature such
as healthwise, reports
from the REACH files, and a beauty section called
looking good in later life.
Also don't forget to take a look at our
regular IT question and answer section called YoucandoIT
by IT trainer and author Jackie Sherman.
To view the latest articles and indexes to
previous articles click on laterlife
interest here or above. To search for
articles about a certain topic, use the site search
feature below.
|
