Take Control of Back Pain

Take Control of Back Pain 20 Tried and Tested Methods to help you manage and relieve back painAt One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 1

Why have we written this book?We work in a city centre day spa and wellness centre where we focus primarily on helping the employees of the local corporate businessesde-stress and sort out the problems they have that arise from stressful working environments. One of the most significant problems weencounter is back, neck & shoulder pain. This book focusses specifically on back pain.Sometimes back pain is non-specific, sometimes it is related to a specific problem. Sometimes it’s acute, sometimes chronic. Whatevertype of pain it is, back pain can be truly debilitating and can recur if you don’t take steps to manage it.We know that the deep massage treatments we carry out release muscular stress and tension and as a result can help to relieve back pain.But there are a range of other tried-and-tested self-help strategies that can help.So if you are suffering from back pain, this book is for you.It explains why and how we develop back pain, what the long-term implications can be and then offers some simple practical techniquesand practices you can use to help.Please be aware that we are not physicians or physiotherapists and if you have significant problems you should seek advice from your GPWe hope you find the book useful and appreciate any feedback you may have to help us improve the content.Many thanksBeth Davies and the Team from At One Health & Beauty LtdAt One Health and Beauty Ltd, At One Day Spa, 10 Great Western Arcade, Birmingham B2 5HUTel: 0121 233 0600 Web: atonedayspa.co.uk Email: [email protected] One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 2

What is Back Pain?Back pain is a very common problem which affects most people at some point in their life. It is most common in the lower back (where itis called lumbago), although it can be felt anywhere along your spine, from your neck down to your hips.It can be triggered by a number of different things but one of the main causes is bad posture. In many cases the pain improves gradually -over a few weeks or months - particularly if you take steps to help the healing process. However some people experience long-term painor pain that keeps coming back.Whilst back pain is not generally caused by a disease or trauma, there are some conditions that can cause it, including: A herniated disc (also called a prolapsed or slipped disc) - this happens when one of the discs that sit between the vertebrae in the spine is damaged and the cushioning gel bulges out allowing the disc to press on the nerves. Sciatica – this happens when the sciatic nerve which passes down the body is irritated or compressed causing pain, numbness and tingling down one leg. Whiplash – this is a neck injury caused by a sudden impact and is most frequently encountered after car accidents. It can lead to headaches and neck, shoulder and back pain. Frozen shoulder (also called adhesive capsulitis) – this is a condition in which the shoulder joint becomes inflamed leading to pain and stiffness. Ankylosing Spondylitis – this is a long-term condition in which the bones and joints in the spine become inflamed causing pain and stiffness where the spine meets the pelvis. It’s cause is unknown.If you have chronic back pain and you are concerned it may be caused by a disease or trauma you should consult your GP.The rest of this book focuses on non-specific back pain - i.e. back pain that doesn’t have an obvious cause.At One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 3

Twenty Ways to Manage Back Pain1. Change your attitude Sometimes it can be easier to just assume that back pain is an inevitable part of getting older and reach for the painkillers. Whilst anti- inflammatories and painkillers can help to tackle the immediate problem, they won’t give you a long-term solution. You need to be willing to learn and relearn, be receptive to new ways of doing things, be sensitive to your condition, be prepared to try a few different approach- es and stick with them, and, above all, recognise that changes will not happen overnight.2. Check your Lifting Posture One of the biggest causes of work-related back pain is lifting or handling heavy loads incorrectly. Follow these tips from the Health and Safety Executive:  Think about where you’re going to place the object: clear any obstructions, and ask for help or use lifting aids if possible.  Keep the load close to your waist for as long as possible and keep the heaviest part of the load closest to your body.  Wear suitable footwear and keep a stable posture with your legs apart and one slightly forward.  Make sure you hold the tightly and hug it into your body.  Don’t stoop, fully flex your back or squat to pick up, lift or put down the load - instead slightly bend the back, hips and knees.  Avoid twisting or leaning sideways. Keep your shoulders level and facing the same direction of your hips and move your feet if you need to turn.  Keep your head up and look ahead whilst lifting.  Don’t jerk or snatch the load - instead try to move smoothly.  If you need to position the load precisely, put it down first then adjust it into position.At One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 4

Twenty Ways to Manage Back Pain3. Change your sleeping arrangements Look at getting a firmer mattress and bed board (a wooden board that goes under your mattress to give it more support), find pillows that suit you, and, if you travel try a folding portable bed board. Finding the right mattress can be challenging so try several but most people find that for a bad back medium-firm mattresses give the right amount of support to the back and tend to provide more back pain relief than firm mattresses. Most bed stores will allow you to try out mattresses before you buy. In extreme cases an orthopaedic mattress may be best. You can also get different pillows designed to suit people with back pain. You can source these from physiotherapy retailers and specialist stores.4. Sort out your posture Get your posture looked at by a professional (e.g. a physiotherapist or sports therapist) and corrected. Poor posture is a regular culprit for back pain and can be addressed by following basic exercises and advice to correct your own postural problems. You can find more advice on adopting the correct posture in our e-Book “Pain Free at your PC”.5. Try Hydrotherapy Warmth can ease back pain so try sitting in a bath of warm (not hot) water for about 20 minutes. Fill the bath as full as possible and lean your back against one end of the bath with your legs bent and feet flat, then tuck a folded towel between the small of your back and the bath, and lean back using another folded towel to support your neck. Try adding in some Epsom salts or a good quality aromatherapy bath oil with essential oils such as rosemary, wintergreen, ginger and peppermint.At One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 5

Twenty Ways to Manage Back Pain6. Learn how to sit and how much to sit Seated posture is important, especially if you are sitting for long periods of time. You should use a firm (but not hard) seat and a footstool, try a lumbar cushion, sit up straight, don't cross your legs, and get up and stretch regularly. If using a computer is a core part of your work, your employer is legally obliged to make sure that your workstation is ergonomically correct for you. The diagram below shows the correct seating position and will help you to assess whether your workstation needs adjustment.At One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 6

Twenty Ways to Manage Back Pain7. Apply Moist Heat As a more convenient alternative to a bath try applying a hot wet towel or wrapped heat pack to your back whilst you are lying in bed.8. Use Some Cold Therapy When muscles are in spasm, cold therapy can help to ease the inflammation. You can get gel packs that can be heated in a microwave or cooled in a fridge or freezer, and are specifically designed for the lower back. Alternatively, try a packet of frozen peas. Always make sure that you wrap anything that has come from the freezer in a towel or pillow case first to avoid the ice burning your skin.9. Use Massage Massage can be a great source of relief for back pain if applied correctly. Massage manually relaxes the muscles through the application of pressure to them. We recommend seeing an experienced sports or remedial massage therapist for the best advice and specialist treat- ment. Alternatively you can try self massage techniques such as rolling a tennis ball into a tight muscle.10. Exercise Regularly Don’t go mad - you need to exercise with caution, but an exercise programme specifically developed for your back problems can offer massive benefits. You should speak to a qualified personal fitness instructor or sports therapist for the right advice. Generally back pain can be helped by improving flexibility, mobility and strength - particularly in the core muscles. Back pain often derives from a weak core because your back muscles will “kick in” to do the work that the core muscles should be doing, putting them under inappropriate strain. An exercise regime that includes Pilates will help to strengthen your core muscles and get your body moving correctly.At One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 7

Twenty Ways to Manage Back Pain11. Positions of Comfort There are several different positions that can give you a \"break\" from your discomfort. We have shown some below. Try them and find one that works for you and allow yourself to adopt it when possible. You should aim for at least 2 x 10 minute breaks per day. If you can’t find a position that works for you, try speaking to an injury rehabilitation therapist for some more ideas.12. Educate Yourself on the Medical Options It can be tempting to go down the drugs and surgery route as the way to solve things. And although it’s best to try other ways to alleviate your back pain first, you may still end up using these options. If that’s the case you should learn about the drugs you are offered before taking them, match the strength of painkillers to the level of pain, weigh up potential long term side effects, and don’t stay on them any longer than you need to. Don’t settle for injections or surgery until you are sure you have given some other solutions a good try.At One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 8

Twenty Ways to Manage Back Pain13. Walk!! A US back pain survey found that taking a brisk, uninterrupted walk of at least one mile a day helped 98% of respondents because it helps to improve flexibility, strength and muscle tone. By stimulating the endorphins it also helps to release stress.14. Carry Things Comfortably Look at the things you carry regularly and the effect they may be having on your back pain. Try the following:  Go through your handback regularly to take out unnecessary weight.  Try using or rucksack so that the load is more evenly balanced.  Change where you carry your wallet so you don't sit on it.  Divide your shopping or invest in a wheeled trolley.15. Look After Your Feet Consider whether your shoes give you the right support. Visit a podiatrist to look at the right shoes and get appropriate foot supports or orthotics if your gait/posture needs correcting. If you are a woman, try changing the height of their heels. You may also find it useful to have a pair of good quality trainers available for walking to and from places. Visiting a foot care practitioner to remove corns or bunions, and relieve foot pain, will also help you to walk correctly.16. Connect your Mind and your Body Explore holistic activities like Tai Chi or yoga which can help you to increase your flexibility and back fitness, improve your outlook and reduce stress.At One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 9

Twenty Ways to Manage Back Pain17. Lose Weight If you are overweight then that will be putting extra pressure on your back and this can lead to back pain. Sometimes it can be difficult to lose weight when you have back pain because of the drive to comfort eat and avoid massage which might exacerbate the pain. But it is worth persisting. Avoid crash diets and non-rehabilitative exercise programmes.18. Eat a Good Diet As well as helping you to lose or control your weight, eating a good diet will help to make you feel better. By cutting down on animal fats, alcohol, caffeine and sugar, and increasing water, wholegrains, fruits and vegetables you can also help to prevent constipation which can be another contributing factor to lower back pain.19. Stay Warm Make sure that you keep your back warm and avoid chills and draft. This is especially important if you are exercising or outdoors. If your desk is in direct line of a draft or aircon vent, ask to be moved or for the vent to be redirected.20. Become a Water Baby Water is a very supportive medium so try a visit to your local swimming pool. Swimming is non-weight-bearing, aerobic and will stretch and strengthen your body. Use comfortable stroke like sidestroke or backstroke that will not put pressure on your lower back. Breast- stroke and front crawl can both aggrevate back problems. You can also try walking, jogging or aqua-aerobics and experiment with using floats and buoyancy aids to make the activity comfortable.At One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 10

How We Can HelpAt One Day Spa offers a range of treatments and home-use solutions to help to alleviate the stress associated with busy working lives.Express TreatmentsDeep Acupressure Massage 10 Minutes - £15 20 Minutes - £30Express De-stress 20 Minutes - £30Foot Repair 25 Minutes - £30Relaxing TreatmentsTranquillity Massage with Hot Stones Back, neck and shoulder- £45 Full body - £60Deep Muscle Release Massage Back, neck and shoulder- £46 Full body - £60Sports Therapy £48 / £63Reiki £35 / £50 Reflexology £55 £65Just Be from £30 Signature Healing TherapySpecialist ConsultationsBack Pain Sleep Management Nutrition Stress ManagementAt One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 11

Our Corporate Wellbeing ServicesAt One Health and Beauty Ltd is an independent, Birmingham-based company with its own Wellness Clinic and Day Spa (\"At One Day Spa\") close toColmore Business District.The business is owned and run by Beth Davies, a former management consultant turned personal trainer and sports therapist, with an MBA from Cranfieldand over 20 years in management and directorship roles. Beth has a unique understanding of the pressures of corporate life and the need to deliver valuefor money. She also cares passionately about the wellbeing of others, and has built a like-minded team around her.This team provides services that are not just high-quality but also extremely relevant to today's office workers. An extensive business network also enablesthe business to source excellent speakers and experts on a range of health, wellbeing and stress-management subjects. We have worked with a number ofbusinesses including Ernst & Young, Pinsent Masons, KPMG, Gowling and Barclays.Whether your business is large or small, we can support your employee wellbeing offering in a way that suits your needs. We offer an initial WellbeingConsultation which allows us to assess your wellbeing needs and develop proposals to introduce or enhance the wellbeing offering within your business.We can offer a range of bespoke services including:  Developing complete Wellbeing Programmes.  Running Wellbeing Events and Workshops such as:  Practical Stress Management  Effective Nutrition for Daily Health  Sleep Hygiene  Tackling Workplace Posture.  Carrying out on-site preventative and remedial massage at offices, conferences or events.  Developing executive benefit schemes or client/staff reward schemes.For more information please contact Beth Davies on 0121 233 0600 or [email protected], or visit our website www.atonedayspa.co.uk/corporate.At One Day Spa Take Control of Back Pain Page 12