Dancing on Ice's Dr Tom Naylor: How to solve your back pain
He’s the orthopaedic surgeon turned Dancing On Ice pro-skater. But today it’s back to the day job for Dr Tom Naylor, who has taken a break from the rink to help us beat our back pain.
Who does back pain affect?
- It's thought that 60% of the adult population in the UK can expect to have lower back pain at some point in their lives
- Everyone is at risk, but back pain most commonly affects those aged between 41-50, those who are overweight, and those who don’t exercise regularly
- 5-7% of adults over 45 years old are chronically disabled by lower back pain
- Some studies have estimated that time off work due to back problems accounts for around 2.8 million days per year
Are you at risk of back pain?
- Obesity, physical inactivity, occupational factors (your job, heavy lifting), depression and psychological conditions, all leave you at risk of non-specific back pain
- With that in mind, if you can address your weight and stay active, you will be reduce your risk of having back pain
- The most commonly recommended activities are swimming, yoga and pilates - but even just going on a walk is better than doing nothing
- Your local health services should be able to provide advice and direct you to any schemes in your area for staying active
What to do if you already have back pain
- Most non-specific back pain will resolve within 4 weeks with good 'self-care'
- At home you can take over-the-counter painkillers, use heat packs, use hot water bottles, place a cushion between the knees when sleeping on your side, or prop up your knees in certain positions
- Most importantly you need to stay active and stretch regularly
- Try and get out of bed, and carry on with normal life - it's important to keep moving
Why bed rest is bad for backs!
- Bed rest results in a longer duration of symptoms and a slower recovery
- You may find that moving causes pain, but this is okay in most circumstances
- You should return to normal activities and work as soon as you can. The longer someone is off work or avoids their normal activities, the higher the risk of their pain becoming long-term (what’s known as chronic)
- It's okay to go back to work with some back pain - and occupational health departments can help make alternative arrangements to facilitate this
When should you be concerned?
- There are more serious causes of back pain. These can include Cauda Equina syndrome, cancers, infections of the spine, fractures of the spine, and problems with one of the main blood vessels in the body called the aorta
- The symptoms known as ‘red flags’ to medical professionals include numbness or tingling down both legs or around your buttocks and genitals, a struggle to urinate, or episodes of incontinence, and a feeling of weakness in both your legs
- Other symptoms that shouldn't be missed include a fever alongside your pain, and unrelenting pain that stops you from sleeping