Healthy People

Take part in our back care live chat, and help avoid back pain!

October 13, 2011 at 10:42 am

Have you ever been laid low with back pain – or wondered if sitting at your desk for long periods of time is doing your back no favours?

We can help! On Monday 17 October and Wednesday 19 October our online live chats are all about back care, with AXA ICAS lead physiotherapist and back expert Jan Vickery here to answer all your questions on back health. She’ll also be providing tips on posture and information on other musculoskeletal issues.

Given that back pain is something most of us are likely to experience at some point, it’s perhaps surprising that we don’t pay more attention to our backs and back care in general –so join in the live web chat and get smart on back care.  Here are some common back problems you might want to ask about:

Non-specific back pain –this is where there’s no underlying cause due to injury or a medical condition. This type of complaint is more common in people who are overweight, have poor posture, or who do a lot of heavy lifting at work.

Sciatica – caused by pressure on a nerve in the back (the sciatic nerve) due to a ‘slipped’ disc, this condition causes pain in the lower back and the back of one or both of the legs. Most cases get better over time, but in some cases may require medical treatment.

If you suspect you have developed sciatica, you should see your GP for an assessment.

Muscle spasm – the most common cause of acute, or short-lived, back pain. The lower back is more prone to twists and strains, which means pain in this area is fairly common, and can be caused by things like driving for a long time, sleeping on an unsuitable mattress, and general lack of exercise.

These are just some of the common back complaints, but you can ask about anything related to back care and posture in our live chat. Until then you can get some great advice on back care and daily exercises to keep your back in excellent condition –check out our Be Healthy fitness article exercises for a healthy back to see how just 15 minutes a day can make a big difference to your back’s health, and your health in general.

We look forward to hearing from you during our back care live chats on 17 October and 19 October. If you can’t make it along for the web chat, that’s no problem – just post your questions below in the comments section. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter too, if you want to post your questions there.

Our live chat is now closed, however you can view all the questions and answers from Monday 17 October and Wednesday 19 October on our blog.