Anyone who has ever suffered from back pain knows how debilitating the condition can be. It affects all aspects of life from work, to hobbies and even sleep.
According to latest statistics, 10 million working days are lost to back pain every year, the equivalent of £1billion in lost earnings.
Many people struggle to get a diagnosis or don’t seek help as they assume it’s simply a common problem they will have to live with, or that it’s an inevitable part of getting older or the job they do.
But there are many causes of back and neck pain and there can be many solutions.
Nuffield Health Tees Hospital is hosting a free spinal event “Let’s talk about managing back pain” on Thursday April 21st, where consultant spinal surgeon Daniel Fagan will be talking through common spinal problems and the ways different treatments can help.
One of the hospital’s in-house physiotherapists will also be on-hand to talk about what exercises can be done to help different types of pain, and to offer advice on how to cope with day-to-day activities.
Nuffield Tees has four consultant spinal surgeons, including Mr Fagan who has dedicated his practice to patients with spinal disorders. He is particularly interested in state-of-the-art treatment of conditions which cause back and neck pain in adults, such as slipped discs, spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis, where a bone from the lower back slips out of position.
Mr Fagan said: “Most of us will suffer from back pain at some point in our life. It can be triggered by every day activities such as lifting incorrectly, slouching, sitting or driving for long periods of time without taking a break, and poor posture, but it may also be a sign of a more serious medical condition.
“Many patients who come to us have battled to get diagnosed or simply don’t know where to turn next. But patients really don’t have to continue to live with chronic pain. There could be a surgical treatment available to them, or exercises and techniques which will help.”
Nuffield Health Tees Hospital is based on Junction Road, Norton, Stockton, and treats patients who self-pay or whose treatment is funded through their health insurance.
Patients benefit from short waiting times and the consistency of the same consultant looking after their care from their initial consultation through to any treatment. The hospital has 31 private en-suite rooms along with onsite MRI, CT, X-ray and pharmacy facilities.
- The Nuffield Health Tees Hospital event takes place at 6.30pm on Thursday 21st April. Booking is essential as places are limited. For more details go tohttp://www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/tees or to book a place contactenquiries@nuffieldhealth.com (01642) 924 323.