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Back Care Awareness Week October 4-10 – Tips for Managing Back Pain
There is no miracle cure for back pain, nor will back pain ever be cured by medical means alone, but positive thinking and having some tools to help in managing the pain can help immensely in conjunction with back care services and products available.
The focus for Back Care Awareness Week in 2008 is staying positive and, in short, believing that “You can do it” and get through your back pain. Louise Levy is an inspiration to all back pain sufferers out there. With a background steeped in dance and drama, Louise Levy has always been passionate about performing on stage. But it’s a cautious return to the stage for Louise, 44, after a 10-year gap spent battling severe back pain.
Louise helps other people manage their pain, depression and anxiety in her profession as a Clinical Hypnotherapist. She is also a volunteer with the national charity BackCare, giving callers to its helpline information about the support available to them.
To encourage organisations or individuals to take part in ‘Back Care : Believe You can do it’. BackCare have produced an awareness week information pack. This contains a range of self-help materials put into the real life contexts of work, home and leisure. Individuals will be able to use the awareness week packs to help themselves, or for presentations, customer events, and even local exhibitions. To order your pack go to www.backcare.org.uk .
For further details about the awareness week, to offer your support to BackCare, by becoming a member, or make a donation, contact BackCare directly on 0208 977 5474. You can contact the BackCare helpline on 0845 1302704.
Tips for Managing Back Pain
- Take regular physical activity. Regular physical activity is very important in keeping your back, and the rest of your body, fit and healthy. Choose an activity or exercise you enjoy doing.
- Mind your posture. Avoid long periods of being in one position, move around regularly and stretch and exercise your back muscles regularly. Check out the Alexander technique for help with posture.
- Pace yourself and set achievable goals. Back pain often comes and goes and you may experience flare ups and periods of relatively little pain. You may find that you can extend the periods of less pain by pacing yourself and setting realistic goals. Don’t try to do everything you have to do when you feel well, but spread your workload over a longer period.
- Stay Active. When you experience back pain it is very important to stay active. Prolonged, bed rest \s often courtier-productive in managing back pain
- Get comfortable when working. Adjust your work environment, i.e.; is your computer screen at the right height? Do you have to do (too) much reaching?
- Shopping Using a high trolley reduces the need to bend too much. Try carrying your shopping in two smaller bags instead of one big one or go twice to the shop instead of buying everything in one go.
- Back packs When carrying a load, consider using aback pack worn on both shoulders. This avoids any discomfort from carrying loads a-symmetrically.
- Take regular driving breaks when having to drive long distances and use a firm seat that .gives good support; use an extra lumbar support if needed. An even better option may be to take the train which • allows you move around regularly instead of being in one position for a long time.
- Relaxation Learn relaxation techniques or find activities that you find enjoyable and relaxing.
- Finding treatments There are many different treatments available to help you with your back pain. Contact healthcare providers via BackCare’s database of professional members on www.backpain.org
Find out more about back pain help in your area, plus information for scoliosis sufferers and places to learn Alexander technique.
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