‘Nightmare Backache’ campaign kicks off

Back pain, how to fight it? Through correct information, adequate care and help from postural gymnastics. This is the starting point for the awareness campaign ‘Nightmare back pain’, promoted by Novartis with the patronage of patient associations and in collaboration with ‘Postura da Paura’. A problem, that of back pain, which over 80% of people experience during their life, and whose causative factors may be different, but the symptoms are often the same. That’s why – remember a note – people with chronic back pain may go undiagnosed or downplay the underlying cause of the pain. There are in fact – continues the note – two types of back pain: mechanical and inflammatory, and it is important to distinguish the etiology of inflammatory pain from that of mechanical pain. The synergy with the general practitioner to identify the cause of back pain is important because it can direct towards the reference specialist: the rheumatologist, who can identify the pathology, speed up the diagnostic-therapeutic path, improve pain management and reduce it. thus the impact on the quality of life. The campaign aims to raise awareness of inflammatory back pain, an underdiagnosed and often disabling disease, which affects about 1 in 5 adults (20% of the adult population suffers from back pain that lasts for more than 3 months). It often appears before the age of 40 and is characterized by: persistence of pain for 3 or more months, morning stiffness that improves with movement or exercise, intermittent pain in the buttocks. Symptoms worsen with rest, especially intensifying in the morning or at night. This discomfort can affect sleep quality and is one of the reasons many people with inflammatory back pain also have sleep disturbances. Physical exercise, if practiced consistently and with the right movements, can be a benefit. For this reason, Novartis, in collaboration with ‘Postura da Paura’, has created a series of videos designed specifically for those suffering from back pain. On the social channels Facebook @Saichelasa and Instagram @Saichelasa, a new video a week with tips and exercises to be carried out comfortably from home against this pathology. The expert and founder of ‘Postura da Fear’, Sara Compagni, will lead the way in conducting the exercises of the ‘Nightmare Program’. Furthermore, in the section dedicated to the campaign on the website www.saichelasa.it it is possible to find useful information, practical advice and an important evaluation test for back pain symptoms. The campaign is sponsored by the main patient associations: National Association of People with Rheumatological and Rare Diseases (Apmarr), Emilia-Romagna Rheumatic Patients Association (Amrer), National Association of Rheumatic Patients (Anmar) and National Observatory on Women’s and Gender Health ( Wave). “Projects like these are very important because they help to increase the level of information on the disease, but at the same time they can provide valuable tools that can improve the quality of life of patients. Early intervention in rheumatic diseases means not worsening the course and it is important not to underestimate the symptoms of the disease and to promptly contact your doctor, who can refer you to the reference specialist, the rheumatologist ”, says Antonella Celano, president of Apmarr. Among the problems of patients suffering from inflammatory back pain, the difficulty of reaching a diagnosis is certainly one of the greatest obstacles and, often, this comes after the disease has already caused irreparable damage. Another factor of weight is also represented by the lack of information on rheumatological diseases in general. “Often in the common mentality, back pain is mistakenly confused with age-related pain, when instead it is a systemic pathology that not only affects the elderly, but also young people and people in the midst of working life. The role of the family doctor is therefore also fundamental, in knowing how to identify the symptoms and direct the patient in the correct way. The same collaboration between patient, general practitioner and rheumatologist becomes a crucial point of the treatment path: we are moving towards integrated assistance, which can take charge of the patient at 360 °, so that correct and early diagnoses as well as adequate treatments prevent consequences. articular ”, underlines Silvia Tonolo, president of Anmar. “Regular physical activity is of great help because it helps improve the general well-being of people with chronic diseases, including rheumatic diseases and inflammatory back pain. Making the right movements makes you feel good both mentally and physically. Regular exercise strengthens our joints, decreases bone loss and can be useful in pain control ”, remembers Daniele Conti, director of Amrer. “Listening to patients’ needs and being at their side with concrete answers has always been a priority for Novartis. Because inflammatory back pain can have a significant impact on people’s lives physically, psychologically and socially, and in the long run it can also lead to disability, it is important to support those who suffer from it in the choice of an appropriate management plan together with their doctor “, says Daniela Della Monica, Head of Franchise Immunology, Epatology and Dermatology Novartis. The ‘Nightmare Back Pain’ campaign “is part of a broader communication project that sees us committed to raising awareness and keeping attention on pathologies that are still too often underdiagnosed just like inflammatory back pain”, he concludes.