"Chronic back and neck pain over 25 years"

Advice from GP - meds, exercise and physio.

In reality, spent most of 25 years on meds (not ideal! ), exercise tended to produce new problems and physio was patchy.

I believe acute and chronic back and neck problems need to be addressed in a different way with individualised patient care plans worked out with their GP.

I have made real steps forward in the last 3 years after discovering a couple of techniques which could be easily incorporated into NHS care and have been researched and funded by the NHS but have still not been incorporated - I wonder why? I also have proposed an example checklist for the GP to give the patient when they are first presented with a back problem and also in chronic cases. This would enable more informed decisions on the patient care to be made and treatment tailored.

My blog(mini website) is on www.backpainsurviving.com and it gives more details. Please take a look - its partly self help, partly talking about the patient/doctor relationship and NHS guidelines and partly suggestions for further research. Its just about trying to share more positive news, trying to save the NHS money and most importantly, giving patients better care.

My personal battle with back pain continues but I now am in control of that battle and have the tools to cope with it without going back and forwards to the GP's and hospital and surgeons. I must have saved the NHS a fortune - just on me! !