Are you taking advice on your back pain?
As if there weren’t enough wasted appointments, a new study has revealed that even those who do turn up to get advice from their GP when they’ve got back pain are wasting valuable time by not following it.
In a survey of 2056 people by bac<, conducted to support the launch of its new Sacroiliac Belt, a staggering 64% of those people who had visited their GP due to back pain admitted they sometimes didn’t follow their advice or do the recommended exercises given to them.
Even worse is that 27% of those questioned confessed that they visited their GP more often than usual when they had back pain and one in ten said their appointments lasted longer.
What makes it all the more surprising is the fact that the survey found back pain sufferers go through so much more than prolonged physical agony.
Some 14% said they had to give up sex when the curse of back pain struck, 24% suffered poor mental health and 35% said it made them short tempered and snappy.
They also admitted their pain affected others, especially relationships with children, family, friends and colleagues.
Over a fifth of people said it had a negative effect on their work and study, one in ten said that they couldn’t take care of their pets, including walking their dog, and a quarter felt unable to do any housework. Some 19% said they were prevented from enjoying their hobbies, 14% weren’t able to drive anywhere and a shocking 8% couldn’t even look after their children.
Mark Critchley, bac< spokesperson said: “Back pain is very common, affecting around 85% of us at some point in our working lives. Sometimes you don’t have to see a GP for back pain as it can be dealt with at home with painkillers, gentle exercise and products like our new Sacroiliac Belt for the lower back, hips and buttocks.
“Of course, some types of pain do need professional help and if you’re worried it’s worth seeing your GP, but if you do, listen to them and take their advice, or it’s a waste of a valuable GP appointment and your time.”