Back on track

This year sees the 40th anniversary of Back Care Awareness Week, providing advice and guidance for the 80% of Britons regularly affected by back pain.

In support of the week, and in association with the Charity BackCare, TEMPUR, the leading manufacturer of pressure relieving mattresses and pillows, has launched a free supporting self-help guide and website – backadvice.info - to provide additional advice and practical tips helping sufferers combat the symptoms.

Almost 80% of the population will be affected by back pain at some time in their lives, costing the NHS around £480m a year. It’s also the number two reason for long-term absence from work in the UK, with millions of working days lost every year as a result.

The new guide - ‘Back on Track’ - addresses the causes of back pain, from medical conditions to lifestyle habits, and the different types of pain. It also includes details of both conventional and alternative treatments, highlights preventative measures, and provides some simple tips and exercises that sufferers can try at home:

A new website – backadvice.info – provides extended, in-depth information and professional advice from osteopath Geoffrey Montague-Smith. It also allows visitors to air their opinions on current back pain topics through regular polls.

BackCare chief executive Nia Taylor commented: “Back pain is one of the most common health conditions in the UK, with four out of five of us experiencing it at some point in our lifetime. As well as inflicting misery on the lives of those it affects, it is also a key factor for workplace absence making it even more important that reliable help and advice is widely available."

For free copies of ‘Back on Track’, or for more information about TEMPUR Products, email: backpainadvice@tempur.co.uk.