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Preventing back pain

It's difficult to prevent back pain, but the following tips may help reduce your risk: do regular back exercises and stretches – your GP or a physiotherapist may be able to advise you about exercises to try stay active – doing regular exercise can help keep your back strong; adults are advised to do 150 minutes of exercise a week avoid sitting for too long when driving or at work take care when lifting – read some safe lifting tips check your posture when sitting, using computers and watching television – find out how to sit correctly and tips for laptop users ensure the mattress on your bed supports you properly lose weight through a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise if you're overweight – being overweight can increase your risk of developing back pain

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Being overweight

"Four million people died in 2015 as a result of being too tubby, struck by cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other killer conditions," reports The Sun. This is based on a global study that looked at how the proportion of people who are overweight and obese has changed over time. This was determined by recording body mass index (BMI), where a BMI of 25-29.9 means being overweight and 30 or above is being obese. Researchers then assessed the link between having an unhealthy BMI and health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. It found that, despite public health efforts, obesity is on the rise in almost every country and in both adults and children. Prevalence has doubled in most countries over the past 30 years. Researchers also estimated that having a high BMI accounted for 4 million deaths globally, 40% of which occurred in people who were overweight but not yet obese. This demonstrates that being overweight may almost be as risky to health a...
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Exercise

Two sets of US guidelines have revised the public health advice on physical activity to clarify that gentle exercise is not enough to improve health, The Guardian reported. Current guidelines suggest that 30 minutes of exercise a day is enough to offer health benefits, however the newspaper said that adults “need to add jogging and twice-weekly weight-training sessions if they want to cut their risk of heart disease and obesity.” The newspaper reports that “the lightest of activities such as dusting and the stroll to the car are being counted as exercise” and quotes the researchers as saying that people have “not accepted, and others have misinterpreted the original recommendation.” The expert panel process and the recommendations offered have clarified some of the more unclear recommendations that were published in 1995. The group of experts met in 2000 to prepare this update, and this was supplemented by panel members’ own searches of the literature. It is not possible to validate ...
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Back to basics

Simple painkillers are better than spinal manipulation or anti-inflammatory drugs to cure a bad back, reported The Daily Telegraph and other newspapers. “Visiting a chiropractor for a bad back may be a waste of time and money,” the newspaper said. The Daily Mail adds, “Patients get better just as quickly if they simply stay active and take a mild painkiller such as paracetamol.” The story is based on a well-conducted study in people who had persistent, acute, mild back pain. The researchers compared stronger painkillers and spinal manipulation with continued conservative treatment (paracetamol and advice about avoiding bed rest and remaining active and so on). The study suggests that neither spinal manipulation nor strong painkillers are more effective than conservative treatment including paracetamol for acute back pain.
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