I’m sure eight out of 10 people would prefer not to have lower back pain

ADVERTS tell us that eight out of 10 cats prefer a particular brand of pet food.

Who knows how they conducted that particular ballot, but they claim our friendly felines like that mash of animal offcuts in jelly by a huge majority.

Bear that in mind the next time you’re bending down to feed your hungry mogs and feel a twinge in the lower back area.

Eight out of 10 people experience lower back pain at some point in our lives.

And no wonder – a stack of bony vertebrae, shock-absorbing discs, supporting ligaments and nerves all combine in one complicated area.

There are all sorts of things that can go wrong with the lower back.

A ligament strain as a result of lifting something too heavy, or a bit of damage to a joint between two vertebrae, for example.

This is known as non-specific or mechanical back pain. This type of complaint doesn’t usually require any scans or X-rays.

Treatment is approached in the same way, regardless of exactly which bit of the complex structure is causing the pain.

Bed rest used to be recommended when it came to back pain but we now know this doesn’t help.

Evidence suggests keeping as active as possible – by walking, for instance – is a much better approach.

Painkillers like ibuprofen can help if suitable for you, but it’s still normal for your back to be sore for a while.

No one is suggesting soldiering on in agony, though. Don’t do anything that causes too much pain.

I usually discuss the correct way to lift heavy objects with my patients who have lower back pain – straight back and lift with your legs.