DON’T LET BACK PAIN SLOW YOU DOWN
‘‘ MOST NECK OR LOWER BACK PAIN HAS NO SERIOUS UNDERLYING CAUSE, BUT DO REPORT RIBCAGE’’ PAIN IN YOUR SPINE BEHIND YOUR
As a GP, I see lots of people with back pain – 4 in 5 people have low back pain at some point. After coughs and colds, back and neck pain are the top reasons for sickness absence in the UK. In the last year, with so many more people stuck at home and workingg on laptops,pp, the number has soared. But there are steps you can take to cut your risk of being a lockdown back pain sufferer.
Most people know the spine is made up of bones (vertebrae) connected by spongy discs filled with a soft gel that act as shock absorbers. A prolapsed or “slipped”pp disc happens wwhen the jelly-like filling buulges out through toough fibrous cartilage. TThis can press on the nnerves coming out of thhe spinal cord at vvarious points, causing nnerve root pain – ssevere, burning or eelectric shock-type pain aanywhere along the nerve. The most commonly affected is the sciatic nerve, which runs down the back of each leg. Pain from sciatica can run as far as your foot.
Far more common is nonspecific back pain. As well as the discs, smaller facet joints connect your vertebrae. Your spine also has tough ligaments (for support) and muscles (for movement) attached at various points. Any of these can come out of alignment or get strained, leading to muscle spasm, stiffness and pain.
Nonspecific back or neck pain doesn’t have an obvious identifiable cause and there are no tests that will show up an individual problem. Sometimes it comes on after twisting awkwardly or heavy lifting.
But very often it’s due to poor posture.
If you’re working at a desk, think about your workstation set-up, just as you would in an office. If possible, adjust your seat so your desktop is at elbow height, with thighs sloping slightly down (hips just above your knees), lower legs straight down and feet flat on the floor. Choose a chair with a supportive back and keep your bottom at the back of the chair, so your back is supported. Face your computer or written work straight on and keep the top of your computer screen at or just below eye height.
If you are working for any length of time at a desk, get up and stretch regularly. If your shoulders feel stiff, try regular shoulder shrugs (up as you breathe in, down as you breathe out slowly). For neck pain and stiffness, slow,
controlled movements of your neck in all directions, repeated regularly, can help.
Protect your back whatever you’re doing. Regular exercise strengthens the muscles surrounding your spine, reducing the risk of back pain. So take advantage of the fact that everyone is allowed to leave their homes to exercise – even during lockdown and even if they’re shielding.
Clearly if you’re at high risk of Covid-19 infection you’ll need to be extra careful to stay away from others – try timing your walk for a quieter time.
If you’re going out to exercise and want to carry a drink or anything else, use a backpack or a messenger bag with a wide, adjustable strap worn across your body – this distributes the weight more evenly. If you are overweight, losing even a few pounds can
reduce the pressure your spine is under.
If you’re tidying up the garden in preparation for spring planting, think about how you lift. Opt for several small loads rather than one heavy one. When you do lift, bend from the knees and hips, never the waist; lift objects straight ahead, never with your body twisted, and hold the object as close as possible to your body as you stand up.
If you do get a bout of more severe back pain, don’t take to your bed. Getting up and about as much as the pain allows will speed up your recovery. Physiotherapy and osteopathy can both help – physiotherapy is available on the NHS and your physio should be able to provide detailed advice on how to prevent back pain in future. NEXT WEEK: Can’t face another lockdown?