What’s your back age? Take the Back Health Calculator Test

Have you taken the Back Health Calculator Test?

When the U.K. observed Back Care Awareness Week Oct. 6-12, the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) created The Back Health Calculator Test, which aims to help people gain a better understanding of back health and how they can improve it.

According to a BCA press release, currently the number of people leaving the workforce due to long-term sickness is at its highest in the U.K. since the 1990s, with musculoskeletal (MSK) health conditions coming in as a leading cause, behind mental health.¹

Between 60% – 80% of British people suffer from back pain within their lifetime, and with sedentary lifestyles becoming more prevalent, it’s no surprise MSK-related conditions are becoming increasingly common for DCs and other healthcare professionals to treat.²

The assessments

Comprising five simple exercises which can be done at home, The Back Health Calculator guides the user through the exercises and shares a back health age, as well as guidance on whether your back falls within health brackets denoted by the colors green, amber or red.

“The state of the public’s back health is at an all-time low, despite the fact that our backs provide vital support throughout our day-to-day routines,” said Philippa Oakley and Kathryn Deverson, DCs and BCA members. “The BCA’s new Back Health Calculator aims to show the current status of the general public’s back health and provides advice and tips on how to improve it.”

If you have any pre-existing conditions, injuries or are currently experiencing back pain, please follow guidance from your DC or other healthcare professional before completing any Back Health Calculator exercises.

The Back Health Calculator Test

Find out more about the Back Health Calculator test in the video below, and click this link to take the test yourself.

References

1. Office for National Statistics – Sickness absence in the UK Labour Market
2. Waddell G, Burton AK. Occupational health guidelines for the management of low back pain at work: evidence review. Occup Med (Lond). 2001 Mar;51(2):124-35. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11307688/.

About the British Chiropractic Association

The BCA is the largest and longest-standing association for DCs in the U.K. and has been named ‘Best Professional Body of the Year’ at the Memcom Excellence Awards 2022 for its Repositioning Project, which has played a pivotal role in changing the healthcare landscape for the better. As well as promoting international standards of education and exemplary conduct, the BCA supports DCs to progress and develop to fulfil their professional ambitions with honour and integrity, at every step. The BCA is raising awareness about the rigour, relevance and evidence driving the profession and the association’s ambition for chiropractic to be more closely embedded within mainstream healthcare.

The BCA is the home for DCs who provide patient-centred, evidence-based care and offer full transparency to their patients. Through the Patient Charter BCA DCs provide reassurance to their patients that they will empower them to make an informed decision about their treatment.