Back Care Awareness Week 2023 will take place between 2nd – 6th October 2023 this year, and to mark the occasion the Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team will be holding a number of events across the course of the week in order to support colleagues.

On Monday 2nd October, representatives from Clinical Ergonomics and Physiotherapy, will be in The Hub between 11:30am – 1:30pm to chat with colleagues and share info and resources, before heading to The Park Deli (Bensham) between 11:30am – 1:00pm the following day, Tuesday 3rd October.

Two back rehab taster sessions will also be led by our Occupational Health Physiotherapist, JP Gowland, and will take place in the Listening Space between 4:30pm – 5:30pm on Wednesday 4th October, and 11:00am – 12:00pm on Thursday 5th October. To book a space, just complete our form.

Back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, making the promotion of preventative measures all the more important. In the UK alone, almost one third of adults have experienced back pain with 8,900,000 working days lost to the issue each year. NHS reports that back pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical advice are validated here at Gateshead, where the problem the #1 reason for referral to our Occupational Health and Wellbeing Physiotherapy team.

Back Care Awareness Week serves as a valuable platform for disseminating information on preventative measures such as proper posture and physical activity, as well as the information around the benefit of seeking early medical intervention when back pain presents.

Colleagues interested in some of the ways they can tackle back pain can download the guide via the button below, and can also find further information including similar guides for other joints and body parts over on our Physiotherapy page.