70% of people in the UK will experience a significant episode of back pain during their lives, and the condition costs society over £10bn each year. Keele University is attempting to change this, recognising that whilst effective therapies exist, finding the right personalised treatment is very difficult.
Over the past 15 years, researchers have pioneered new treatments and developed an easy-to-use approach called STarT Back, identifying those most at risk of future pain and then matching patients with the most appropriate treatment.
Trials found a saving of £400 per person, which equates to overall savings of more than £700 million annually in the UK. The STarT Back approach has been widely implemented into UK health guidelines, has been translated into 36 languages and is being used across the world.
