The Statistics

•     40% of the UK population are affected by back pain every year, which equates      
      to approximately 16 million people
•     2.5 million people suffer from back pain every day of the year
•     50 million working days are lost each year
•     Overall burden to industry = £5 billion per year
•     1.2 million people are affected by musculoskeletal pain and 500,000 by          
       work-related stress

Back pain is a leading cause of time off work, estimated to cost industry £5 billion per year.  There are different causes of back pain from the occasional ache and discomfort to the more severe disc injuries associated with leg pain known as ‘Sciatica’. 

To find out why your back is hurting and to reduce the risk of re-injury during good periods is essential. The risk of back pain is significantly increased if you have experienced back pain in the past.

Are you sitting comfortably?

Poor posture may lead to back pain if:

•    You spend hours sitting at a desk or a computer
•    Slump or slouch in front of a television
•    Sleep in a bed that is too hard or too soft
•    Find yourself hunching your back in stressful situations

‘I only leaned forward to pick up a toothbrush’ is a common statement by patients who come to see us after what seems like a trivial incident but has left them in a great deal of back pain.  Daily activities such as bending and twisting can lead to a build up of stress and strain on your back and one movement can therefore lead to an injury that has been building up for a long time.  

By addressing your daily movements you can work with your chiropractor to learn how to move more safely and achieve a better posture.  This will significantly reduce the risk of re-injury.

Adding three minutes of exercises to your daily routine, (similar to the routine of cleaning your teeth) can also build up core stability and reduce the risks of re-injury.

(Please see our general advice section or contact us)

The reality:  Back pain is the largest single reported cause of absence from work and is a leading cause of disability.