18 October 2004 - National Back Care Awareness Week
The survey, which was carried out by YouGov for the CSP, had the following outcome.
- back pain was experienced by 68% of respondents at least once over the last 12 months
- 33% of those affected experienced 5 or more episodes
- most back pain lasted between 1 and 3 days, but for 20% of those affected, the pain is ongoing
- 6 out of 10 people surveyed aged 18-29 and 30-49 reported experiencing back pain, compared with 7 in 10 people over the age of 50
Wendy Emberson of the Organisation of Chartered Physiotherapists in Private Practice commented:
"Nowadays, physiotherapists are seeing more and more children and young adults with recurrent low back pain - as well as older people. The human body was not designed to spend long periods of time sitting down - especially not on soft settees and ill-fitting classroom or office furniture. Combine this with obesity, stress, poor diets and inactivity and it is easy to see why people are less able to cope with life's everyday demands and are more vulnerable to back pain.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy's new leaflet encourages people of all different ages to think about their lifestyles and explains how minor improvements to the way they walk, move, sit, bend and carry while they go about their daily lives could make all the difference when it comes to beating back pain.'
A guidance leaflet - Backs for Life is available through the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
Other information on prevention of back pain can be found by clicking the following link: BackCare, the Charity for Healthier Backs
Article by Alexandra Johnston
