The aim of National BackCare Awareness Week is to create awareness of back pain across the population and offer help on how to treat and relieve back pain. Two areas focused on this year are back pain in children and back pain at work.

As part of BackCare Awareness Week, Peter Jones Osteopaths are offering free short chats about back and neck pain of all sorts.

Their Open Days are in Worcester (88 Laugherne Road, St John’s) are on Monday 12th October 12–1 pm and Thursday 15th October 12–1 pm and 5–6 pm, and in Upton upon Severn (6 Old Street) on Tuesday 13th October 10 am–2 pm.

Here he explains about back pain and what often causes it:

Children

One in four secondary school children in the UK have regular or daily back pain, which can also include neck and shoulder pain. Females seem to suffer more (27 per cent) than boys (19 per cent) (BackCare survey, 2015).

? Why is this happening?

o Prolonged sitting – up to nine hours a day. Studies suggest that sitting for more than four hours a day is detrimental for the back

o Poor posture when sitting – especially sitting to use tablets, laptops and phones in awkward positions

o Carrying heavy school bags, and not carrying them correctly

o Reduced daily activity levels.

This means children are developing problems and carrying them into adulthood, whether at university or work.

The Workplace

Worcester osteopath Peter Jones says that back pain is probably the most common musculoskeletal problem from which people suffer. It accounts for many thousands of visits to GPs, with millions of pounds being spent on prescription medication. Each year about seven million working days are lost due to back pain. This can have significant consequences for businesses and individuals, particularly the self-employed. It is estimated that back pain costs the UK economy £12 billion a year.

More back problems in the workplace develop from too much sitting and poor posture than from lifting and manual work. Although it is important to get the correct advice on lifting, it is the reduction of sitting that is key. It is also important to check your computer workstation setup and seating.

Research has shown that our prolonged sitting at work, and commuting to work, is causing significant levels of back and neck pain. It has also been shown to increase the likelihood of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Sitting puts more pressure on the joints, discs and muscles of the lower back than standing and, over time, can lead to back pain. Sitting with poor posture at desks and computers puts strain on the neck, upper back and shoulders leading to a variety of muscle and joint problems.

So what can children and office workers do?

o Sit less – aim to sit for no more than four hours a day

o Use the stairs instead of the lift

o Don’t eat lunch at your desk

o Stand to use the phone

o Take regular breaks and move around

o Stand in meetings

o Take regular physical exercise

o For children – spend less time on laptops, tablets and phones

o Reduce weight in bags and use a rucksack style bag to distribute the weight.

Studies have shown that both in schools and the workplace the use of a sitting/standing desk makes a huge difference. When changing to this type of desk, it should be done gradually and the aim is to have four hours standing through the day. Scandinavian countries have been using these for a number of years and studies have shown significant improvements in back pain and general health – you even burn more calories in the day.