Back pain is a common complaint with many causes. In fact, low back pain is the most common musculoskeletal problem globally, and a leading cause of years lived with disability.¹ Pain symptoms can range from muscle aches, shooting pain, burning or stabbing pains and/or altered sensations. Most back pains resolve with time, rest and conservative management with medication. Other non-back related disorders can also cause back pain requiring medical interventions, e.g. pneumonia and renal disease, which is important for the professionals to bear in mind.

Occupational therapists can help people experiencing back pain by making use of compensatory strategies. These strategies can include raising awareness, leading to implementation of lifestyle changes to optimise functional activities. Other commonly used strategies include focusing on correct moving and handling techniques, learning about energy conservation, guidance on vocational rehabilitation, training on pain awareness to prevent overexertion, and provide appropriate equipment to aid independence and enable participation in meaningful occupations.²

Living with back pain

Neck and back pain can be caused by bad posture, as people can adopt different comfortable postures when pain is present. Poor postures can become habitual and then evolve into a natural position. Pain can also lead to fatigue, which can have a big impact on physical and mental health abilities. Work, hobbies, habits, fitness and health can all be affected by poor posture.

What can you do to help your posture, to prevent back pain?

Improving your posture will help prevent back pain. The NHS has guidance and advice for back pain. You should visit your GP if you are experiencing back pain.

Seated posture - Support your lower back, sitting back in the chair. Your bottom should be at the same height as your knees. Shoulders should be slightly back and in a relaxed position, feet flat on the floor and thighs supported in sitting. The pelvis should be tilted forwards enabling to keep our natural “S” shape curve in the spine.⁴

What does good posture look like?

• Seated posture - Support your lower back, sitting back in the chair. Your bottom should be at the same height as your knees. Shoulders should be slightly back and in a relaxed position, feet flat on the floor and thighs supported in sitting. The pelvis should be tilted forwards enabling you to keep our natural “S” shape curve in the spine.⁴
• Lying posture – Try to keep your spine straight while supine. Sleeping on your stomach can cause neck strain.

Products to support people living with back pain

Complete Care Shop has over 70 years’ experience providing daily living aids to help you or someone you know to “live an independent life”. Often, poor postural habits can be adopted when experiencing back pain, and the introduction of compensatory strategies or equipment may prove helpful. Please contact Complete Care Shop’s team of Occupational Therapist product advisers, who are able to recommend products that support people experiencing back pain.

In this guide, we explain how a variety of tasks and activities can be made easier for those living with back pain with appropriate equipment.

Safety note: We want to take the opportunity to highlight that safety must be at the forefront of all work undertaken and everyone involved must have the ability to utilise the equipment safely.

Mobility: products to reduce pain and increase independence

Mobility is articulated with good physical and mental health, freedom, and independence.⁵ There is evidence that continuing to keep moving around enhances recovery when back pain is present. However, back pain can lower your body’s tolerance to these movements and advice of what is comfortable should be followed to avoid exacerbating your symptoms. 

Some products commonly prescribed by Occupational Therapists to support back pain include:

• Walking aids: walking stick, crutches, walking frames, rollators, kitchen trolleys. These may be for short- or long-term use. Please refer to What height walking stick do you need? How to measure and other articles before purchasing. Correct measurements are vital to support good posture.
• Wheelchair, mobility scooter and ramps: to prevent occupational isolation enabling care givers to provide ongoing meaningful activities such as outdoor recreation etc. if mobility is reduced.
• Grab rails and banister rails: these can provide a visual aid and a physical aid to support mobility.
• Chair/sofa raisers: for if furniture is too low and affecting independence  in sitting down and standing up again.

Washing: products to reduce pain and increase independence

Showering or bathing is often thought of as a self-care routine, benefiting skin hygiene, odour control and enabling self-expression while reducing muscle aches and pains. Self-care also improves mental health, increasing motivation, concentration, reducing stress and anxiety, and it also increases the ability to manage fatigue. As back pain can inhibit self-care routines, equipment may enable you to continue to shower or bathe independently and safely.⁷

Here are some OT approved products that can support showering and bathing:

• Grab rails for shower, bath or toilet area
• Bath seat, shower chair, bath lift, shower step/stool
• Shower commode chair, raised toilet seat, toilet frame
• Long handled sponges and washers, antibacterial skin cleansers

Additional products in our Bathroom Aids section may also support you.

General pain: products to reduce pain and increase independence

Pain is an individual experience impacting everyone differently, so we recommend that you take research and professional advice when purchasing products. The NHS provides free information for getting help if you are experiencing pain. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/pain/how-to-get-nhs-help-for-your-pain/.

OT approved products that can support you include:

• Actimove back support – providing support, warmth, and massage to the lower lumbar region
• TENS machine – a relaxing impulse massage device
• Lavender wheat warmer – providing heat to help soothe and relief muscle pain.

Dan is 68 years of age and lives alone in a ground-floor flat. He was spending long periods of time in bed, finding transferring on or off his bed difficult, resulting in a referral to Occupational Therapy.

Dan reports that moving from a lying down to a sitting position was causing additional discomfort and so he was finding it easier simply to stay in bed.

Social care support was provided for self-care and daily routines, and a GP visit provided muscle relaxant and pain relief medications. Occupational Therapy provided a Zimmer frame with caddy, perching stool and a mattress elevator to reduce risks, enable independence and increase motivation and engagement in his daily routines.

Dan was at risk of poor skin integrity from spending so many days in bed, as well as carer reliance, mental and physical deterioration, nutrition and fluid intake decline and was also at risk of developing respiratory problems from laying supine.

The mattress elevator enabled Dan to transfer safely and independently from lying down to sitting up with some support when pain otherwise inhibited his ability to do so. He was advised to use this minimally to ensure, when able, he utilised his core strength. The perching stool enabled Dan to complete tasks such as washing his plates and pots in a seated position rather than standing when pain was present. It also conserved his energy while strengthening his stamina and endurance. The Zimmer frame and caddy enabled Dan to transport meals and drinks safely and move around more with support and therefore maintain a good posture for back care. This will also prevent nutrition and fluid decline and aid healing. A commode and urine bottle were discussed for night-time use, which Dan did not require. An important point to note is that back pain can be a major barrier to sleep, giving rise to a vicious circle of sleep deprivation that can also impact healing, mood and pain sensitivity.

It is important that any individual utilising equipment or products needs to use these competently and safely. Our aim is to help make life easier for people experiencing back pain and to provide support for care givers, with the overarching goal of helping others live an independent life.

1. https://www.iasp-pain.org/resources/fact-sheets/the-global-burden-of-low-back-pain/
2. Royal College of Occupational Therapists [RCOT]. https://www.aota.org/practice/practice-essentials/quality/quality-resources/role-of-ot-pain-management
3. https://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/manual.htm#:~:text=Keep%20the%20load%20close%20to,slightly%20forward%20to%20maintain%20balance
4. https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/resources/posture/
5. https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/back-pain/spine-pain-reducing-your-mobility
6. https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/can-good-diet-fight-back-pain/
7. Birken, M., Wong, H. T., McPherson, P. and Killaspy, H., 2021. “A systematic review of the published literature on interventions to improve personal self-care for people with severe mental health problems.” British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 84(4), pp. 200–211.
8. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e051073
9. https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/heat-therapy-cold-therapy/benefits-heat-therapy-lower-back-pain
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8353288/