If your back or neck pain is slowing you down at work and limiting your daily life, you’re never alone. His latest ONS stats paint a grim picture. In the UK, 2.9 million people report back or neck-related problems, and between January and March last year, almost one million people were classified as economically inactive because of it. Back and neck problems are currently costing him £1.4 billion on welfare, an increase of more than a quarter since the pandemic.
What’s wrong? Kevin Hunt, a physical therapist at Spinal Physio, says the biggest single factor in this problem is a lack of knowledge and understanding, which is why we’re so reluctant to treat back and neck pain. We will respond in the worst possible way. This means keeping your spine straight, keeping your spine aligned and not moving. As much as possible. “There’s so much misinformation out there,” said Hunt, who has worked on sports teams at events such as the Olympics and the Grand National and is an author. Payne: The Ultimate Mentor. “When we believe that pain means our lower back is injured, or that ‘pain’ means ‘harm,’ we tend to bend over or , try to avoid twisting or moving around. It makes us stiffer, weaker, and harder to move. ”
It is important to note that there is a critical difference between “acute pain” due to an injury of less than 6 weeks and “chronic pain” of 12 weeks or more. Lower back pain can also be a symptom of a disease or infection. However, most long-term spinal pain, stiffness, and inflammation do not have a clear diagnosis and are vaguely referred to as “non-specific” or “musculoskeletal.” “If it’s chronic and persistent, it becomes a complex problem,” Hunt says. “Pain is probably trying to tell you something about your lifestyle.”
Of course, the pandemic exacerbated an already severe problem. Rushed online GP consultations and long referral waiting lists mean that access to proper assessments and specialist advice is limited, leaving many people to ‘manage’ their problems alone. Working from home didn’t help either. “That means you don’t have to walk to the station, go to a meeting, eat lunch or buy coffee. You’re just sitting at home at your computer,” says Hunt. “It also means we may not be able to switch off. We may not have natural breaks, have poor sleep quality, be bored, lonely and anxious. All of this. influences our experience of pain, but it’s very easy to blame poor posture or the type of chair you sit on.”
It may sound counterintuitive when you’re struggling, but for most of us, moving our bodies is the path to healing. All clinical guidelines for low back pain encourage exercise as a priority treatment. Start gradually and build strength over time, ideally by combining stretching and strengthening exercises. There is no one-size-fits-all method. If it feels too uncomfortable, try something else, less intensely, or less often. So what kind of exercise is the most effective?
6 best exercises for back and neck pain
walk
“That’s the best thing for us to do first,” Hunt said. Walking strengthens the muscles that support your spine, strengthening your legs and reducing stress on your spine. “It increases blood circulation, increases bone density, delivers fresh air and sunlight, and helps with sleep and circadian rhythms. It’s a refreshing change of pace, a break from the day. You should walk for at least 40 minutes every day, You may need to split your 20-minute walk into two sessions accordingly.”
lying knee roll
“We spend much of our lives in a straight line, sitting and standing, but the spine is a collection of pivots that bend and rotate, and we need to move. “When you have to bend or twist, your body does a little bit of a surprise,” Hunt says. A gentle stretch that increases flexibility.
