PAIN IN THE BACK
If, like 1 in 3 of the UK population, you are often plagued with back pain, a new – free – solution could soon be coming your way.
This week, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence backed the use of complementary therapies on the NHS for the first time, meaning that sufferers of persistent lower back pain could now be eligible for acupuncture, massages or exercises on the NHS.
NICE says anyone whose pain persists for more than six weeks and up to a year should be given a choice of several treatments, because the evidence on which works best is uncertain. So in addition to painkillers and X-rays, you can now reap the benefits of holistic manual therapy, such as spinal manipulation, mobilisation or massage, plus exercises and acupuncture.
Lower back pain is a very common problem affecting one in three adults in the UK each year, with an estimated 2.5 million people seeking help from their GP. Professor Peter Littlejohns, NICE Clinical and Public Health Director said NHS providers now had the opportunity to look at the services they provide and decide what changes are needed.
‘This new NICE guideline means that for the first time we now have the means for a consistent national approach to managing low back pain,’ he said. ‘Importantly, patients whose pain is not improving should have access to a choice of different therapies including acupuncture, structured exercise and manual therapy.’
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy welcomed the guidelines, as did Dr Dries Hettinga of the charity BackCare: ‘This offers a real choice for patients,’ he said. ‘This guideline will help patients understand what treatment and care can help them with their back pain and shows that there can be a positive outlook for treating this condition.’
