Health Back pain How to manage backpain
You don't have to put up with back pain. Here are some of the things
you can try to ease it and speed up your recovery
If you’re affected by back pain, the good news is the pain usually isn't caused by anything serious. In fact, it’s very common – according to the British Society for Rheumatology, 60 - 80 per cent of people in the UK have back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain that doesn’t have any known cause is called
non-specific back pain. Sometimes back pain can be caused by a sprain or strain. Occasionally it can also be caused by a medical condition such as a slipped disc or sciatica, which is when the nerve that runs from the pelvis to the feet becomes irritated. It can be difficult to prevent back pain, but there are several things you can do that may help.
Stay active Being active every day can help keep your back healthy. Aim to do 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week – walking, cycling and swimming. This can help keep your back muscles strong. Also try to be more active in general. This means doing
things like leaving the car at home as often as possible and walking instead, taking the stairs rather than the lift and washing the car yourself when you’d usually use a car wash.
Doing regular back exercises and stretches can help too.
Ask your pharmacist, GP or physiotherapist about which exercises you could try. If you have lower back pain, you could try the following knee twist exercise, as suggested by the NHS, that may help your pain to ease:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and together, and feet flat on the floor. Put a small cushion or pillow under your head (if it feels more comfortable, also put a cushion or pillow between your knees). Stretch your arms out from your sides at shoulder level.
2. Keeping your knees together, slowly lower them to one side and let your hips follow. Both shoulders should stay flat on the floor. Aim to get your lower bent leg touching the floor – but only stretch as far as is comfortable.
3. Hold then return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side, doing up to 10 moves on each side.
It's best, if you have a medical condition or you haven’t done much exercise lately, to check with your GP before you start any new type of exercise or activity. Meanwhile if you have back pain, try to continue with your
normal activities as much as you can. If your pain is severe this may not be possible at first. Just try to move around as soon as you can and try to get back to your normal activities – but don’t do anything that causes a lot of pain.
Lose weight Being overweight can increase your risk of developing back pain, so if you need to, try losing weight through a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise. Your local Careway pharmacist can help if you need
support with managing your weight. They can offer lots of tips on eating healthily as well as staying active, while some may also offer more comprehensive weight management services that may include keeping a check on your weight and body mass index (BMI).
Try pharmacy medicines If you're in discomfort because of pain you may want to consider using over-the-counter pain relief medicines such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, which are available at your
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