Anyone with back pain will tell you it is no laughing matter. Just bending over to pick something up can be an agonising experience for some, while the constant discomfort also robs many people of a decent night's sleep. But as well as the untold personal misery it causes, back problems are the number one reason for absenteeism in British industry today, with thousands of work-hours lost each year.

With this in mind, London Underground Occupational Health has launched a 12-month pilot project to help London Underground staff that suffer low back pain.

Liz Simpson and Kim Travers are charged with making the project work. The aim of the project is to determine whether an in-house physiotherapy service can reduce staff absenteeism associated with low back pain. The service enables London Underground employees to fast-track NHS waiting lists for physiotherapy which can take as long as 45-50 weeks. The London Underground occupational health team feel that with immediate access to physiotherapy, the employees with low back pain have a much better chance of a quick recovery.

There are two phases of the London Underground Back pain project. The first phase commenced in April 2000 and provides fast track physiotherapy assessment and treatment for all London Underground employees who experience low back pain. The second phase, which is called "Back on Track", has been developed for chronic back pain sufferers. This programme was launched in September and consists of four, two-hour group sessions. The sessions include information on how the back works, postural advice, pain management strategies, and moving and handling safely. Each session also involves exercise and relaxation classes to strengthen and improve the flexibility of the spine. During the classes employees set goals to help them return to work and recreational activities.

Preliminary analysis shows that the physiotherapy service is reducing the periods of sickness absence taken by staff when experiencing episodes of back pain. The data collected by the physiotherapists also suggests that by treating staff with back pain early they are less likely to take time off work. The physiotherapists pay particular attention to the jobs people do and recommend specific exercises and postural advice to help combat the everyday stresses and strains placed on the back.

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How much does back pain cost your business?
Anyone with back pain will tell you it is no laughing matter. That twinge in your lower back can often be the precursor of bad news. But back pain is also bad news for business: it is estimated that around 13 million working days are lost every year in the UK due to back pain. Our specialist occupational physiotherapists (at The Body Garage), have been involved with a wide range of employers to help reduce the cost of back pain to their businesses. One such project was implemented with the London Underground Occupational Health Department.