Lower back pain is extremely common in the UK. Lower back pain will affect 4 out of 5 of us at some point in our lives. This staggering fact means that it is quite likely you may be affected by lower back pain at some point in your life. There are 3 types of low back pain; non-specific low back pain, sciatica (nerve root pain) and serious spinal injuries or illnesses. Most back pain is in the non-specific low back pain category and as such it can be hard to pinpoint what the cause of it actually is.
Causes of low back pain
There is no one cause of low back pain, but various things can contribute including your activity levels, your work, the amount of time you sit or lay during the day and one-off incidents that can cause a negative reaction. These are called contributory factors. The factors are unique to you and your situation as well as your daily life.
Each of the factors is biological, psychological or social, or sometimes a mixture. They can all affect your pain. You don’t have to live with this pain forever though, pain can come and go and managing your lifestyle can help prevent pain from returning.
We’re launching a new course to help you manage low-back pain and it’s a great way to start for inactive people. Our ESCAPE-pain course for backs is designed to benefit people with chronic low back pain. The programme will not cure, nor eliminate pain completely. However, it aims to reduce pain, improve physical function, self-confidence, sense of being in control of problems, and the depression and frustration that is often felt with chronic pain.
What is ESCAPE-pain for backs?
ESCAPE-pain stands for Enabling Self-management and Coping with Arthritic Pain using Exercise. It is a group rehabilitation programme for people with chronic joint pain. It's a great way to support your back and build a support network to help you succeed.
The 6-week programme covers a range of exercises guided by our two fantastic instructors Javi and Eva. Attendance is encouraged twice a week to give you the best results.
Each session includes a 15-20 minute discussion focused on helping to support self-management and coping strategies followed by 40-45 min of exercise which is personal, progressive and a circuit style. You’ll get 12 sessions to provide you with the tools to manage chronic pain and recognise the benefits of an active lifestyle. The exercises are simple and can be done with limited equipment to give you the best opportunity to improve.
How will the programme help me?
After completing the 6-week programme, you will be able to:
- Carry out normal activities
- Manage your symptoms
- Become more active
- Continue to exercise
Participant feedback
“It’s been good for my mental health to be more active. I’m more confident to add more exercise in my lifestyle now.”
“I have received the tools and knowledge to understand that it is not just rest that I need for my pain but also activity and exercise.”
“When I started I could only walk for 10 minutes before the pain started. I can now walk a lot further and I do not need to stop.”
Am I eligible for the course?
Although we’d love to accept everyone on the course we really want to help those most in need of support and who are currently inactive.
To be eligible for the ESCAPE-Pain back course you need:
- To be aged over 18 years old
- Identified as medium risk (don’t worry we can let you know your risk level) (click this link to determine)
- To have chronic non-specific lower back pain for more than 3 months with or without radicular pain
- To benefit from a group-based rehabilitation programme with exercise
- To be independently mobile
- Have no contraindications to regular exercise (including unstable angina, systolic blood pressure >180 and/or diastolic blood pressure >100, BP drop >20 mm Hg demonstrated during Exercise Tolerance Testing (ETT), Resting tachycardia >100bpm, Uncontrolled atrial or ventricular arrhythmias, Unstable or acute heart failure, Unstable diabetes or Febrile illness)
How do I sign up?
ESCAPE-pain course costs £45 for members and £55 for non-members and you can see the next starting date at the top of this page
Classes are run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fill out the form below, or speak with our receptionists or your physiotherapist about enrolling in the programme.
For guidance or assistance in filling out the form below, please email us on sport-fitness@port.ac.uk or call 023 9284 5555