In association with ToughBuilt, GP Alice Fitzgibbon covers back pain

This month, GP Alice Fitzgibbon looks at a perennial problem for the trades

For the next few columns we will cover a mini-series on back pain. There is too much to cover in one month so this time we will cover muscular back pain, followed by worrying signs with back pain and finally back pain with nerve symptoms – “slipped discs” and sciatica. Back pain is a really common reason people will see a GP or a physiotherapist. Back problems can cause a lot of pain but they can also severely limit the activities people are able to do – both in terms of work and leisure – which is why people often have difficulty in managing them. Any episode of back pain should be a trigger to think about looking after your back health to ensure you don’t have repeated episodes of pain in the future.

The vast majority of back pain is related to a simple sprain or strain of the muscles. Back pain associated with other symptoms, such as leg pain, numbness – or being generally unwell – might be related to a number of other causes which we will cover next time. If you are experiencing back pain, I would recommend the lower back pain self help guide. It asks simple questions to determine the cause of back pain and how to help it. You can take a look at that here: Self-help guide: Lower back pain | NHS inform.

So, let’s start with muscular back pain. It can often start for no particular reason, but common triggers may also be sitting in one position for too long, lifting something heavy in an awkward way, doing a new activity or performing more activity than normal. Muscular back pain can be achey or sharp and is normally felt in the lower back. It can be associated with feeling very stiff with spasms of pain and is often made worse by movement, stretching, standing up straight or bending. It can be very, very painful.

So, what should you do about it? As difficult as it might be, keeping active and moving with back pain is an essential part of the treatment. Often painkillers are needed to allow this to happen. Using a heat pack or ice pack may also provide some relief to the lower back. Resting a sore back will not help it and in fact may make it harder to get moving again. If you have to sit and rest, try to change positions regularly. Doing physiotherapy exercises several times a day will help keep the back mobile and build up strength in the muscles. There are good exercises available on the NHS website: Back pain – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

These may be hard to do at first so do only what you can manage and build up over time. Muscular back pain normally gets better with time but it might not be a quick fix- it will often take up to 6 weeks for things to improve. X-rays and scans are not useful for back pain that is felt to be muscular. They do not change how the condition is managed.

Thinking about triggers for your low back pain can help you prevent further episodes. For example, if you are aware it started after some heavy lifting, it would be important not to repeat the same mistakes and pay extra special attention to the techniques you use for lifting. Keeping active, doing regular exercise and making sure you are a healthy weight are all important for preventing back problems. Exercises that strengthen the core muscles, such as yoga or Pilates, can be very useful too (but might not be everyone’s cup of tea!).

So, this month we have covered the most common cause for back pain – the muscles! The self help guide and physiotherapy exercises linked in above can be really useful starting place if you suffer with back pain. If you find you are making little progress or the pain is not settling down, then see your GP as they can assess you and refer for NHS physiotherapy if needed. There is often a long wait for this, however.

For further information on NHS physiotherapy, visit Physiotherapy – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Carrying on from the idea of staying in good health, ToughBuilt’s #KneelSmartKneelSafe campaign aims to see kneepads treated with the same sense of necessity on the jobsite as other forms of PPE like eye protection, hard hats or safety boots. After all, the consequences of not wearing kneepads can be every bit as devastating. ToughBuilt’s ultimate aim is to reduce the number of people who inadvertently end up with work related knee injuries.