BackCare - Care for your Back


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Protecting Young Backs
Campaign Statement

BackCare, the charity for healthier backs, knows only too well how back pain affects the lives of Britain’s adult population. 3.1 million people are chronically affected by back pain and 1.1 million are registered disabled as a result of back problems. The overall cost to British Industry is judged to be over £5 billion each year with direct healthcare costs of over £1.6 billion.

But back pain is not a problem confined to the adult population. Half of all children report back pain at some time and in 8% of children, back pain affects their attendance, progress at school and future potential.

Children bending over desks in the classroom

It is evident that 3% of children will experience chronic disability as a result of their back problem - that’s one child in every class! Just as government is now tackling the increasing problem of obesity in children, we need measures to give children their best chance of going into adulthood with healthy backs; many of the solutions, like more physical activity, will overlap.

The Government’s Children’s Charter is based on five positive outcomes for children. These are:

Be healthy
Stay safe
Enjoy and achieve through learning
Make a positive contribution to society
Achieve economic well-being

Can any of these outcomes be achieved in the child who develops chronic back problems?

Through the “Building Schools for the Future” programme the Government is investing £2 billion a year for the next 15 years to create wonderful new schools and fully refurbish existing sites. Why? To ensure that our children are given the best education possible and so achieve their full potential. Why then fill these fantastic new buildings with obsolete one-size-fits-all, uncomfortable, plastic chairs and rigid tables, which research shows to be unsuitable for our children’s backs? We believe design and purchase of recommended classroom furniture should be a priority, with a ring-fenced budget, not an afterthought. This action will not only protect children’s backs but also improve their concentration and academic achievement.

Adequate physical activity is essential for children’s health and reduces the risk of back pain affecting their lives. We support the initiatives to increase PE and sport in schools and want to see them taken further. We also want to see schools incorporating regular stretching and postural change during and between lessons.

Health and safety legislation protects adults in their place of work, specifying for example, what kind of seats they sit on, how much weight they are allowed to carry, etc. No such laws protect children in school, their place of work. Much school furniture would be illegal in an office! Many children have no access to a locker at school and may be carrying more than 30% of their body weight in rucksacks. We want to see the implementation of regulations covering the provision of lockers and ergonomically designed furniture in schools and specifying maximum loads to be carried by children.

Our schools have an excellent programme of personal social and health education (PSHE) for our children, teaching them about diet, exercise, smoking, drugs, safe sex, etc. We want to see back care included in the programme, teaching them good posture, back safety and the importance of regular exercise in supporting and strengthening the back. Good habits started off in school will be taken home and go forward with children into their adult life.

Protecting Young Backs Campaign Statement

Protecting Young Backs
Campaign Statement