Back pain is a very general term and something we are all likely to experience at some stage.

The spine supports our entire body and as a result has to endure an array of stresses and strains of daily life.

People spens more time sitting down compared to previous generations which in turn causes greater strain on the back when short bursts of movement are required.

The importance of diagnosis

Back pain is extremely common. On average 49% of the UK adult population have experienced back pain which has lasted for a minimum of 24 hours.

A total of 80% of adults having succumbed to a back injury at some stage in their life, which costs the NHS more than £1 billion every year.

Diagnosis is essential in being able to identify the root cause of the problem and being able to offer an effective treatment programme to manage your condition for every condition is different.

Following any initial back pain it is important to stop what you are doing and rest to minimise the risk of making the injury worse, pushing through the pain is not a sensible option.

Should the condition fail to show signs of improvement following a few days of rest then it is advisable to speak with a medical professional to assess the condition as you may require additional treatment.

Overuse

The majority of back injuries result from overuse, where we push ourselves too far and the body simply needs time to recover.

Regardless of your sport or activity, it is important to know your limits and allow plenty of recovery time in order to minimise the risk of injury.

As an example, if you spend a full day gardening then invariably the following day you will experience stiffness and pain in a number of muscle groups, especially in the back if you have been undertaking a lot of bending, because your body is not used to it.

It is simply telling you to rest and you should take its advice.

Manual handling

In the workplace, manual handling and injuries following slips, trips and falls are the most common.

If you’re lifting something relatively heavy you should try to bend and lift with your knees but always stay within your level of capability.

A lower back support may also prove to be beneficial in offering compression to the region as well as limiting end of range movements of the spine to offer additional protection.

Poor posture

We all spend a lot of time sitting which can impact on posture and encourage us to adopt a bad slouch.

Back pain resulting from poor posture is fairly common which is why you should be conscious of how you sit, but also consider strengthening exercises such as pilates and yoga to help build core strength which help minimise the risk of injury.

Sciatica

Sciatica affects the extreme lower portion of the spine, causing back pain which can radiate down the leg. The pain is usually caused by impingement of one of the lumbar nerves.

Common causes of this are; prolapsed discs, narrowing of the intervertebral spaces or injury.  In some cases the condition may resolve on its own but often requires treatment by a therapist.

There are some other more serious conditions which can also give rise to sciatic nerve pain, so it is important to seek medical advice if sciatica or back pain persists.

Back supports

Back braces and supports are designed to manage back injuries and help support posture, offering the wearer additional protection and peace of mind during everyday life.

Braces and supports should easy to fit and able to provide compression whilst allowing the skin to breathe.

They should only be used during activity where the back needs the additional support or to aid recovery.

Ossur UK have a great range of back supports and you can get a 25% discount when you buy from the Ossur webshop and use our unique practitioner discount code PR100008 when checking out.

If you are unsure of the sort of back brace you require, please do not hesitate to contact us.