Introducing- “THE BACK CARE PROGRAM”

Posted by Hans Lindgren DC on 20 May 2017 | 0 Comments

Tags: DNS, Functional rehabilitation, Back Care Program

I am initiating a program with the aim to combat the escalating problems with back pain in Australia. The program is designed to join all different health care and exercise professionals together to help people help themselves to look after their backs.

Background:

“Lower back pain in Australian adults is a massive health problem that sends more people to the doctor than any condition other than the common cold and generates a substantial economic burden. At any one time, 26 per cent of Australians have lower back pain and 79 per cent of the population will experience it at some time in their lives. The direct cost of care amount to about $1 Billion annually with most of this spent on treatment. However, the direct costs are minor compared with the indirect costs of $8 Billion that arise as a consequence of lost productivity and disability.”Dr Lesley Russell, a senior research fellow at the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute at the Australian National University

This has previously been covered in a blog on this site called: Failure of the current spinal care model-

http://www.hanslindgren.com/blog/failure-of-the-current-spinal-care-model/

There we pointed out that there is no spinal care program in place to combat the burden of back-pain- that was, until now!

Before we move on to describing the “Back Care Program” we should look at some information from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (Bulletin 137 • AUGUST 2016), which does not only cover back pain but the huge problem of chronic back-pain.

Impacts of chronic back problems

• Chronic back problems are long-term health conditions that include specific health conditions, such as disc disorders, sciatica and curvature of the spine, and back pain or problems that are not directly associated with a specific disease (such as osteoarthritis). They are common and associated with high impact on the community in terms of economic and disease burden, as well as on individuals in terms of quality of life and disability.
• In 2014–15, an estimated 3.7 million Australians (16%, or 1 in 6 people) had chronic back problems. More than three-quarters (77%) of people with chronic back problems were of working age (15–64).
• In 2008–09, around 1.8% of total health-care expenditure in Australia ($1.2 billion) was attributed to back problems.
• In 2011, ‘back pain and problems’ were the third leading cause of disease burden in Australia, accounting for 3.6% of the total burden across all diseases and injuries.
• The burden of back problems is projected to increase. The study conducted by Arthritis and Osteoporosis Victoria (2013) projected the number of Australians with back problems to rise by 31% to 3.8 million (a rise of 0.9 million people) by 2032, based on population increase alone (ABS 2013b)
• Given the findings in this bulletin and other studies, reducing the impact of back problems at both population and individual levels is important—and many back problems can be prevented or effectively managed.
• A systematic review of interventions to prevent low back pain suggests that a combination of education and exercise may reduce a person’s risk of developing an episode of low back pain (Steffens et al. 2016). Management at the individual level as well as in health-care settings—such as general practice, allied health, specialist surgeries and hospitals—can help limit pain, maximise function and optimise quality of life.

A combination of Education and exercise is exactly what The Back Care Program is designed to provide. The motto for the program is: Educate and Motivate!  

The Back Care Program

The Back Care Program is initiated in the Redlands, Queensland, Australia and aimed at bringing practitioners and exercise professionals together in a combined effort to educate people how to look after their backs. The foundation for a successful exercise program is education and instructions on how to move, so the structure of the program is based on the concept of first moving better, then moving more.

The quality of the Movement patterns is dependent upon both the mobility and stability of the individual joints.

The Back Care Program is based upon DNS- (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization)- which is a rehabilitation, injury prevention and performance enhancing system originating out of the Prague School of Rehabilitation in the Czech republic. DNS is not the only exercise system that works, but it is the only program based upon the natural movement patterns stored in our brains from birth. What separates the DNS approach from other is the recognition of fundamental movement patterns that are identical regardless of the activity. A tennis player should basically use the same stabilization strategies as the person lifting weights or cleaning the pool, and all movements are based upon the development of proper patterns during infancy. These patterns, hardwired in our brains, make all babies move and get in to certain postures, and without us having to teach them how to turn, sit or crawl they all do it in the same way at the same age.

To avoid confusion, it is important that all Practitioners and Exercise professionals are using the same explanations and instructions when teaching better movement patterns.

For more information about DNS follow this link to the Prague School of Rehabilitation's website:

https://www.rehabps.com/REHABILITATION/Home.html

The Back Care program is designed to facilitate communication between the different groups of practitioners and exercise professionals. The ideal stabilization patterns look the same whether you are seeing a Chiropractic, Physiotherapist, Exercises Physiologist or Personal Trainer. By working from the same DNS platform will the collaboration between the professions be smooth and effective.

The Back Care program is not about treatments, but to assess and teach people how to perform exercises to minimize the need for treatments.

The Back Care Program will among other features include:

• Education for Practitioners and Exercise professionals in the DNS system.
• Educational classes for any back owner.
• Supervised structured training both in individual and group settings
• A website containing back care information, advice and exercise instructions
• A register listing DNS trained practitioners and exercise professionals   
• Easy to perform daily exercise routines to restore and maintain better movement patterns.