Backcare Awareness Week

7th – 11th October is Backcare Awareness Week.

Did you know that back pain will affect 80% of people at some point in their lives?

Read what the causes are, prevention and treatment below.

What causes back pain?

• Heavy lifting
• Overstretching
• Overusing the muscles
• Sitting/laying in awkward positions
• Underlying medical conditions

Prevention:

Avoid any sudden movement as this can cause muscle strains.
Exercise such as walking, swimming and yoga are just 3 different exercises you can do to help avoid back pain.
Wear the right shoes – wearing flat shoes with cushioned soles can reduce the amount of pressure on your back.
Lift correctly – always lift with a straight back, keep the item you are lifting close to your body and don’t try to lift anything that cannot be easily managed.

Treatment:

Painkillers: Painkillers Back pain can be managed by over the counter medication in less severe cases. Paracetamol with or without codeine will block the pain while anti inflammatory medication, such as Ibuprofen will reduce the inflammation which is the most common cause of back pain. Advice from the pharmacist or trained staff can help you decide on the most appropriate treatment for you.

If over the counter medication does not relieve your pain a visit to the GP may result on stronger prescription medication, which should be tapered off as the condition improves.

Heat and Cold Packs: Heat packs increase circulation and helps remove inflammation as well as “distracting” pain receptors by warming them. Cold packs reduce blood flow and should be used only initially in an injury to reduce the build up of inflammatory agents.

Surgery: Surgery is usually the last treatment that will be recommended should the pain result in sufferers unable to sleep or go about their day to day activities.

Useful Links:

http://www.backcare.org.uk/
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Back-pain/Pages/Introduction.aspx