Currently the number of people leaving the workforce due to long-term sickness is at its highest since the 1990s, with musculoskeletal (MSK) health conditions coming in as a leading cause, behind mental health*.
Between 60% - 80% of will Brits suffer from back pain within their lifetime, and with a sedentary lifestyle becoming more prevalent, it’s no surprise that MSK related conditions are becoming increasingly common for chiropractors and other healthcare professionals to treat*.
To help ease backpain of the UK workforce, this Back Care Awareness Week (13 – 19 October), the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has created the Stand:Stretch:Stride Rule - aiming to help working Brits gain a better understanding of their back health, how they can improve it and ultimately return to the UK workforce.
“The Royal Society for Public Health is proud to support Back Care Awareness Week 2025 and the British Chiropractic Association’s Stand:Stretch:Stride initiative. Musculoskeletal health is a vital yet often overlooked component of workplace wellbeing. We commend the BCA’s efforts to empower workers with simple, accessible tools to prevent back pain and promote movement throughout the day. Building healthier workplaces is essential to reducing the economic and personal burden of ill health, and initiatives like this are a step in the right direction.”
William Roberts FRSPH, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health
The new health guide follows on from the BCA’s recent Health Economics Report, developed with York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC), which showed how giving chiropractors the same status as physios and osteopaths could unlock hundreds of thousands of extra musculoskeletal (MSK) appointments each year - dramatically cutting wait times during a national MSK crisis. With over 100,000 more patients potentially treated for joint, bone, and muscle pain, the economic upside is huge: £400 million annually, and £1.5 billion over the course of this Parliament. This aligns directly with the NHS’s 10-Year Health Plan, which prioritises prevention, personalised care, and community-based solutions.
Meanwhile, MSK conditions are costing the UK dearly - 30 million working days lost each year and over £100 billion in lost productivity. A quarter of all workforce sick days stem from MSK issues. The solution is clear: chiropractic care deserves a seat at the NHS table.
Speaking on the Association’s new Stand:Stretch:Stride Rule, Tim Button, Chiropractor and President of the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), said:
“The state of the public’s back health is at an all-time low, despite that fact that our backs provide vital support throughout our day-to-day routines. Our new Stand:Stretch:Stride Rule aims to show how workforces across different sectors can easily take a more proactive approach to their back health, by providing actionable advice and tips to add into your day-to-day working routine.”
If you have any pre-existing conditions, injuries or are currently experiencing back pain, please follow guidance from your healthcare professional before completing any exercises.
To find out more about our Stand:Stretch:Stride Rule, visit our exercise guide here. You can also follow us on social media for our easy follow along videos:
You can find the BCA on:
- Facebook @BritChiro
- Instagram @chiropractic_uk
- LinkedIn @British Chiropractic Association.