The second mistake we often make when stricken with extreme back pain is to go to bed and stay there.Although at the clinic we recognise that a short rest in bed can be helpful...up to two days...any longer makes our back muscles become weaker and unable to hold up our spine.The pain therefore becomes worse.

Another problem is being overweight.Anyone a stone or more over-weight who already has back pain is not doing himself any favours:though it won't actually set it off in the first place,the weight will increase the strain and make things worse.The British diet could be partially to blame for the increase in back pain:over the last ten years the average weight of men has risen by 11 lbs and of women by 9 lbs.So much for the causes and aggravations of pain.But what can WE do to help?

There are many ways in which simple day-to-day care can make all the difference.The first point to watch of course is weight.If you are overweight,a diet will make all the difference.