If you're one of the many people suffering from back pain, it can be difficult to know how to treat it. Here, Vogue speaks to physiotherapist Florence Penny to learn how to reduce lower back pain, along with what causes it in the first place.
Back pain, hellish back pain. According to the World Health Organisation, it affected 619 million people around the world in 2020, with that number predicted to rise to 843 million by 2050. If you’ve succumbed to it yourself, you’ll know it’s the kind of silent paint that can impact every moment of your day.
Utilise ice in this initial period as a method of pain relief. It’s also always important to note here that pain does not reflect the level of damage – especially in the first 48 hours – so just try and keep yourself as calm as possible. Thereafter, it’s all about exercise, which is the “only current approach that can prevent recurrence of lower back pain”, says Penny.