Coping with chronic back pain

Video transcript

Back pain which has been severe or has gone on for a long time becomes difficult to cope with. It starts to affect your mood and behaviour and that in turn affects your ability to tolerate the pain and even how strongly you feel it.

It's important to take control of your mental state and one way is by learning self-help techniques, because these can change your mental state and you can manage and cope with your pain better.

Set goals

Goal-setting is an important way of gradually improving your function and quality of life.

Start with little goals. Try not to get caught up with ticking off a long list of things you've made to do that day. Some people try to get overactive and end up making their back worse. They overdo it and then they get a flare-up, and then they're laid up again up for a few days – and you're on this cycle.

It may be worthwhile just deciding on what you're going to achieve by the end of the week or the month. There's a danger if you set the bar too high that once again you overdo it. Or you don't attain the goal and that's disappointing. It affects your mood as well as your back pain.

Learn to relax

Catherine Potter, MCSP MSc MACP, Bupa Sports Medicine physiotherapist:

It’s been shown that there’s a strong link between stress and low back pain. If you can take time out of your day to do some relaxation techniques such as yoga, pilates, tai chi, going for a brisk walk or taking a long, hot bath, these are all techniques that can help you to unwind from the stresses of day-to-day-life.

Keep active

Dr John Tanner:

Contrary to what a lot of people think, keeping active is actually very good for your back. Some people are afraid to exercise because they actually believe it’s going to make them worse.

There’s no one specific sport that you should do for your back: walking or walking fast, jogging or even running. Some sports and activities do put added strain on your back. For example, in golf, tennis, badminton or bowling in cricket – people who do that really ought to be strengthening their abdominal or back muscles.

Staying active isn’t all about playing sport. There are lots of little changes you can make to your everyday life which can make a real difference. It may be simply walking – walking a little further than usual or walking faster – or going for a swim or cycle ride.

Amin, Back care patient:

I always felt that exercise was aggravating my back, but keeping active has made a world of difference. I no longer stay on the bus. I get off the bus early and walk the extra stop. I no longer use the lift at work; I use the stairs. And it’s simple things, like that, that have improved my back.

Dr John Tanner:

Before starting any new exercise regime, it’s a good idea to speak to your doctor or healthcare professional, especially if you haven’t taken exercise for a long time, or you have a health condition or injury you’re concerned about.

Keep a pain diary

Because back pain can fluctuate quite wildly, and you can have good days and bad days, it can seem unpredictable. So, if you record your pain and the activity you were doing day by day, you may look back and find a pattern.

For example, a long car journey you did two days before a real flare-up of pain: that may be a pattern that you could identify, and therefore change the way you do things. Take frequent breaks from the car journey, for example.

Seek help and support

The other important thing is that you seek help and support. And talk to people close to you. Chronic back pain wears you down. It can make you sad, irritable, short-tempered and difficult to live with.

Get advice from your doctor or other healthcare professional or local clinic. There may be support groups you can find in your area which will also give you help. Remember: you don’t need to suffer your pain alone.

This video is intended for general information only and it does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.

Further information

• BackCare
  0845 130 2704
  www.backpain.org
  
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
  www.csp.org.uk
  
• General Osteopathic Council
  www.osteopathy.org.uk
  
• General Chiropractic Council
  www.gcc-uk.org
  
• Health and Safety Executive
  www.hse.gov.uk
  
• British Pain Society
  www.britishpainsociety.org.uk