8 TALKBACK WOMEN’S HEALTH
Women more stoic than men
Image: Shayne_ch13/ Freepik
Women could be neglecting their back or neck health, clinicians are warning, as new research shows they take twice as long – six weeks on average – to seek help for their pain, while men take just three.
TALKBACK l AUTUMN 2018
ON average, women develop back or neck pain at the age of 27, six years younger than men, and experience it more regularly, according to findings from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA). Despite this, a quarter of women have never visited a health professional for their pain. More than a third of women are turning to over-the-counter medication as a first port of call, 12% more than their male counterparts, ignoring simple fixes such as exercise and stretching which can prevent and improve back or neck pain. In contrast, men are most likely to turn to their GP when initially experiencing pain. And while women are least likely to seek help, the BCA found that overall more than a third (34%) of Brits would wait a month or more to seek professional help for back or neck pain. Moreover, one in 10 Brits would continue to suffer in silence, not seeking help at all. Simple lifestyle changes, such as stretching and incorporating more movement into your daily routine, can be an easy and effective way to keep back pain at bay, yet only 11% of men and women make these changes to their routine when they start to experience back pain. This trend for women to “keep calm and carry on” is also reflected in their delay in seeking help for other health conditions, with men seeking professional help for joint pain, strains, and headaches more quickly than women. BCA chiropractor Tim Button said: “I often find that my patients have been struggling with back or neck pain for weeks or even months before seeking help, some having tried a number of alternative treatment methods, while others wait to seek help until the pain starts to have a detrimental impact on their day-to-day lives. Many people think that back or neck pain is a part of everyday life, but this isn’t
