Back pain is the UK's number one illness. It is the primary reason for people taking time off work, and the charity BackCare believes 180m working days are lost in the UK each year as a result of back problems.Four out of five adults experience back

. A vertebra had slipped forward slightly, causing some irritation to the part of the sciatic nerve that was supplying the hip, which caused the pain.”Mills was surprised to learn that a slipped disc in her back was affecting her hip. “If you have any

. Avoid bed rest. Movement, even crawling on hands and knees, is better than inactivity. Backs: to the future. (Real-life solutions) Real-life stories: how two runners beat back pain Injury-Proof Your Back: five sets of everyday tips to stay pain

When your lower-back muscles are weak, you are more likely to suffer from nagging pain, bad posture or below-par running. To keep this critical ‘core’ area strong, you need to strengthen and stretch the erector spinae muscle group. The following

Back pain might keep you from running from time to time, in which case you might benefit from some preventive strengthening and stretching exercises. We’ve listed two old favourites for each below, but if you do suffer from a back problem, check

--Strengthening your lower back and abdominal muscles should help ease any pain you experience while running. To minimise stress on the lower back, use an upright posture (ie no slouching) while sitting, standing, walking, and running. You can also

Learning how to manage injury – and the threat of injury – is an unavoidable side-effect of being a runner, but how can you tell whether the sudden onset of pain will pass in a couple of miles or is a sign of something more serious? Is the only

for prolonged periods aggravates your pain. This is known to increase the pressure on the back. Raise these points with a chartered physiotherapist, and if indeed it proves to be nerve- or back-related, they will show you nerve stretches and establish why

, particularly during faster sessions. For days afterwards the area is painful, even to gentle massage. I only use the ‘traditional’ rugby stretch of one foot back with my heel to the floor. Is the problem caused by my changed running surface, or could it be my

take it seriously. Better to ease off and try again in a fortnight than to be laid off completely for a month.Lower-back painIs the pain… one that’s been developing over a few days or even weeks?If so… it’s a typical lower-back problem that starts off