Top 5 Tips for Back Pain

Help your customers prevent and manage back pain in 5 simple S.T.E.P.S!

Stretch
Therapy
Exercise
Posture
Strengthen

Millions of us in the UK suffer from back pain with many commonly experiencing lower back pain which can affect work, family and leisure time.

When back pain occurs, we may be unwilling, or even frightened to move because it hurts, but backs were made for moving and the latest advice from expert bodies such as NICE tells people to keep mobile with gentle exercise.

Mentholatum is committed to helping people take an active part in managing their own health and wellbeing, so they have developed Mind Your Back, an easy-to-follow back pain management and prevention programme.

Mind Your Back’s five simple S.T.E.P.S. - which can be followed in your own time and at your own pace, alongside a healthy lifestyle, will help you not only manage back pain but help prevent further problems. If the cause of your back pain is Sciatica then please take a look at our How to ease sciatica pain Buyer's Guide.

Stretch

Too much sitting at a computer screen for long periods of time can weaken our back muscles, so Mentholatum has selected five simple stretches to increase mobility, reduce stiffness, improve circulation and help take back pain away – backs are made for moving!

No need for gym gear or any special equipment – all you need is you. Whether it be at your desk, at home or even on your daily commute – these can be done anywhere.

_{As always, people who have not been active for a while should be advised to check with their GP and to start any new activity slowly.}

Therapy

Find the right topical products to help care for your back efficiently^1,2.

Mentholatum is the UK’s number one seller³ of topical pain relief products including the iconic Deep Heat, Deep Freeze and Deep Relief, its topical NSAID brand.

The mix of formats across the ranges and the fact that some of the products are drug-free means that you will be able to find something suitable for your needs.

Heat Therapy

Heat helps to soothe muscle aches and pains. Deep Heat Muscle Massage Roll-on Lotion helps soften tight back and leg muscles to restore movement while others provide pain relief.

The increased blood flow helps aid the healing process and warmth is known to help ease pain

Cold Therapy

Cold therapy works fast. The Deep Freeze range of products provides fast pain relief for sharpshooting back pain or muscular back pain during pregnancy⁴.

The cooling effect of the Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Gel, Patch and Glide-on Gel has been scientifically proven to penetrate soft tissue to a depth of 3cm.

Anti-Inflammatory

Topical Anti-inflammatories provide penetrating pain relief targeting inflammatory back pain.

Deep Relief Anti-inflammatory Gel is recommended for the effective relief from back pain, rheumatic pain, muscular aches, pains and swellings such as strains and sprains.

Deep Relief Joint Pain Gel is also suitable for the relief from the pain associated with non-serious arthritic conditions.

For more information on how to manage arthritis pain with topical creams, please visit our Managing Arthritis Pain Buyer's Guide

Exercise

Even with our busy schedules, it’s important to keep our backs healthy and strong!

Find gentle exercises you enjoy and build them up gradually be it brisk walking, cycling, or swimming – you only have one back, so look after it! If at any time you feel acute pain during exercise, be sure to stop.

Physical activity is good for the back, but please seek medical advice before exercising if you have underlying health conditions.

Posture

Our occupations and our increasingly sedentary lifestyles can lead to back pain because of poor posture.

If it continues it can lead to longer-term problems later in life, so it’s beneficial to know what good posture looks like in order to maintain good posture.

Having good ergonomics can even add a few more years to your life.

Strengthen

A long-term solution to help manage back pain is by strengthening the back-supporting core muscles which weaken over time.

Strengthening and Conditioning is a very beneficial way of reducing the negative effects of repetitive strain and poor posture.

A strong core provides good support for the spine. Please take a look at our back strengthening exercises for five simple exercises to help strengthen your back muscles and help prevent back pain.

^{1 Deep Heat Pain Relief Heat Patches, Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Patch and Deep Freeze Pain Relief Glide-on Gel are medical devices. Deep Relief Anti-inflammatory Gel and Deep Relief Joint Pain Gel are medicines for muscular aches and pains. Always read the label. 2 Deep Heat Muscle Massage Roll-on Lotion is a non-medicinal product to help ease tight muscles. 3 IRI data 52 w/e 8 September 2018. 4 Always check new symptoms with your midwife.}