The government has recently begun promoting the

concept of wellness and activity as a way of getting

people back to work. Gordon Brown has made bold

statements about government health strategies, pledging

that: “The NHS of the future will do more than just

treat patients who are ill – it will be an NHS offering

prevention as well.”

Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson, in his speech to

the British Heart Foundation on 20th February 2008, cited

government figures showing that back pain costs

employers £600m a year, with sufferers of persistent back

problems on average taking 17 days’ sick leave per year.

Return to work figures show that, of those who are signed

off for up to six months, only 50% return to work. That

figure decreases to 25% for those signed off between six

months and one year.

In 1998 the Department of Health reported that:■ 40% of adults had suffered from back pain for more

than one day in the last 12 months;

■ 15% were in pain throughout the year;

■ 13% of back pain sufferers aged 16-64 had been

unemployed in the previous month due to back pain.

As someone who has suffered debilitating back pain, I’ve

tried a multitude of treatments and gizmos. Mostly their

impact was negligible, very short-lived or expensive. My

GP could only suggest surgery, bed rest, painkillers and

resigning myself to the futility of it all. 20 years later, I’m

not only fully recovered but also fitter than ever. During

the same time period, the medical profession has rejected

prolonged bed rest. However, the treatments offered tend

to be the same: anti-inflammatory drugs, pain relief,

surgery and limited physiotherapy.

One can see why returning to work is so difficult. The

constant pain, discomfort and loss of mobility can be

overwhelming. Back pain sufferers often give up exercise

because it is too painful, so they become overweight,

which exacerbates the condition. This cycle of depression

and loss of self-esteem can be extremely detrimental and

is often compounded by long periods of unemployment.

Yoga practised regularly, in my experience, can be

extremely effective in dealing with most back problems as

well as being a great stress buster.

So how does this fit in with the government’s preventative

health strategy? Perhaps low return-to-work rates

result from medical practitioners misunderstanding the

rehabilitation process. They expect full physical recovery

from their patients when they eventually return to work,

but neglect the psychological impact of long-term back

pain. It cannot be underestimated that many long-term

back pain sufferers are likely to have become isolated,

depressed and consequently suffer low self-esteem. So it is

likely that they will need other kinds of support to help

ease them back into a working environment.

A small number of GPs do recommend yoga. However,

without proactive endorsement at policy level, patients

may not take that leap of confidence. If one could attend a

yoga class just like one goes to physiotherapy, there could

be a considerable shift. In my view, the current approach

to back pain is largely ineffective, whilst the cost to the

individual and the economy is huge. I am convinced that,

for most chronic back pain sufferers, yoga would offer

relief from pain as well as all the attendant psychological

and emotional benefits.

One of the problems of offering yoga classes at a

doctor’s surgery is the lack of appropriate space and

restricted consultation hours. However, with the proposed

introduction of polyclinics by Lord Darzi, perhaps this

would be an ideal opportunity to include a purpose-built

yoga studio as part of his ‘vision of the future’. This would

not only facilitate a convenient and cost-effective referral

point for allopathic and complimentary therapists, but

also provide continuity of care, patient satisfaction and

financial viability.

Joy Anderson, CEO of Yogaforbackpain.com, advocates an alternative approachto dealing with chronic back pain…

Back in action

Hum

an R

esou

rces

Public Service Review: Central Government 19

Joy AndersonChief Executive OfficerYogaforBackPain.comTel: +44 (0)20 7274 7577joy@yogaforbackpain.comwww.YogaforBackPain.comwww.YogaforBackPain.com/HealthatWork

© Reproduced with the kind permission of PSCA International Ltd 2009 www.publicservice.co.uk

CG19 J Anderson ATL 300.qxd:1 13/10/09 12:53 Page 1