In the past if you had a sore back or a stiff neck you might have been encouraged to stay home and rest. If you have a teenager struggling with this type of pain you may have passed on the same advice and kept them away from school to recuperate.
Recent research is pointing to the benefits of keeping active and sticking to the usual routine, including school, with indications it will help students recover better. It may also impact on their future attitude to neck and back pain and reduce absenteeism in the workplace. Teenagers who miss school because of low-back and neck pain are three times more likely to take sick days from work as young adults.
Professor Peter O’Sullivan from the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science at Curtin University co-authored the report and is speaking to Gillian O’Shaughnessy
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