An extract from an article in The Times, September 19, 2005
Simple steps can put an end to unnecessary suffering
by Peta Bee
Back pain is not only debilitating for the individual, it also costs the NHS and the economy billions of pounds each year. But a few simple measures could save a lot of pain
Unless you have suffered from back pain, it is difficult to imagine just how debilitating it can be. But it is a very common problem, affecting up to a third of the adult population in the UK, from schoolchildren to the elderly. Back pain — aching stiffness or acute muscle spasm — is the second most common workrelated condition after stress and, in economic terms the consequences, both to the NHS and industry, are costly.
An estimated £1.6 billion is spent treating back pain in Britain every year, with an additional £5 billion lost through the 180 million working days taken off each year because of the condition. But experts say that much of the chronic suffering could be relieved with simple, but proven, measures to prevent and treat it.
LEARN THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
Adjusting the way you walk and move, even slightly, can have a profound effect on relieving back pain. A recent study at the University of Vermont found that teaching patients the Alexander Technique (AT), helped to prevent and cure long-term lower-back problems. Proponents of AT claim that it helps people to learn to move, sit and lie without undue tension or poor posture. A course of 20-30 lessons is normally recommended.
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