How Stephen bounced back (From The Northern Echo)

How Stephen bounced back

1:59pm Wednesday 11th January 2012 in Health

Keeping fit can be a ball. Rachel Meek talks to a back pain sufferer who found an effective way back to health by chance.

LIFTING, standing and driving were enough to bring tears to the eyes of fruit and veg man Stephen Brown.

Years of plying his trade had taken their toll on his lower back and the discomfort was starting to impact on his daily routine as director of Farm Fresh Direct – until a chance delivery to a specialist programme had a life-changing effect on the Durham trader.

“For a group of people who were suffering from back pain they seemed very happy,” recalls Stephen, of Newton Hall. “I was struggling to run the business on a day to day basis because of the constant back pain and the physical activity involved in transporting fresh produce.

“I had suffered chronic lower back pain for about a year and when I saw with my own eyes what was going on I soon realised I had nothing to lose. I can honestly say that it has made such a difference to my life.”

Stephen joined the Cardi-Back initiative run by Platinum Physiotherapy and Personal Training, the brainchild of Neil Sleeman, who has extensive experience as a physiotherapist specialising in lower back pain in the UK and Australia.

ORIGINALLY from Australia, Neil settled in County Durham with his wife and established a successful physiotherapy practice, which also specialises in areas such as personal training, deep tissue sports massage and pilates.

“It’s great to be part of a programme we really believe in and it’s extremely satisfying to see the positive impact it has on people’s lives,” says Neil.

The programme is part of the Changing the Physical Activity Landscape project, supported by NHS County Durham and Darlington and County Durham Sport, aiming to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in people aged 40 to 74 through increased physical activity.

Stephen underwent an eight-week programme, which included education sessions, so he could understand why his pain was happening.

He was also shown how to develop his core area using a Swiss ball to strengthen the relevant muscles while increasing his fitness and strength.

“It really helped me to learn what was going on inside my own body,” says Stephen. “It really makes you think about how you lift things.

Even a simple thing, like proper posture, means that my back isn’t struggling anymore.

Throughout the programme the level of support given is just amazing. It’s not difficult to do and yet it has really changed my life.

“I burned off a lot of calories, too. In fact, I lost an amazing amount of weight on the programme, about 4kg. But the main thing is I am able to lift, carry and sit behind the wheel of a delivery van without suffering any pain in my lower back.”

Since the programme started last year, around 170 people have participated in Cardi- Back. Results have shown that 84 per cent of participants had decreased back pain and 74 per cent maintained increased levels of physical activity six months after the programme finished.

Other possible benefits have also been identified including decreased weight and blood pressure in the majority of participants, possibly due to important lifestyle changes made during the programme.

“Stephen was a perfect participant for the programme. He really bought into the lessons and used the exercises given to him in his own time, which is very important,” says Neil. “He knows he has to continue with the exercises to minimise the risk of future back pain as well as heart disease. The programme really does bring amazing results.”

The Cardi-Back programme is available in various locations throughout County Durham including the FLiC Centre at Coxhoe (formerly Coxhoe Leisure Centre), Spectrum Leisure Centre, in Willington, East Durham College, in Peterlee and also at Sunnydale Leisure Centre, Shildon.

Stephen says: “It was a great feeling to be able to look forward to the new year without the fear of pain and being able to run my business without any worry of it returning. I would highly recommend the programme and I do, to just about everyone I meet.”

• The programme is fully funded with a small contribution towards healthy refreshments. Each participant receives a Swiss ball to use at home during and after the programme, with a personalised exercise programme, water bottle and Tshirt.

For more information and an application pack call the Cardi-Back team on 0191-372-9821, email info@platinumppt.co.uk or log on to platinumppt.co.uk.