More back problems
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• Truck drivers are four times more likely than the rest of the population to suffer from back problems, according to a physiotherapist who treats the royal family The book Back in Action by Sarah Keys blames the back pain suffered by drivers on long periods of relative inactivity behind the wheel, coupled with excessive levels of vibration, followed by short bursts of heavy lifting.
Back ailments cost British industry more in lost man-hours than any other ailment according to the book, which offers tips on effective ways of combating back pain.
Keys explains: "One of the earliest pieces of bio-mechanical research revealed that the pressure in discs is highest when sitting and, as long as we remain there, the pressure continues.
"Relatively speaking, our discs dry out. Like a sponge in a vice, water oozes cut and it is absorbed by the bloodstream. I believe this phenomenon is the chief background cause of human back pain. Even healthy spines can be made vulnerable by too much sitting," she adds.
Back in Action will be published by Vermillion on 6 September, priced at £899