2<\/p>\n Over 1,000 adults in the poll said they’ve suffered discomfort for more than a yearCredit: Getty<\/p>\n The poll of 2,000 adults revealed over half (53 per cent) have suffered discomfort for more than a year, with 24 per cent claiming aches and pains<\/a> had stopped them from doing what they enjoy in life and a quarter saying they have had to stop working.<\/p>\n This rose to 42 per cent of 55 to 64-year-olds, while 38 per cent of 35 to 44-year-olds have had to reduce their hours or change roles as a result of poor health<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of those affected, a quarter (26 per cent) have arthritis<\/a>, of which 43 per cent admitted it impacted their ability to work as they normally would.<\/p>\n A quarter of people suffering with aches and pains have experienced financial stress as a result.<\/p>\n Yet, 71 per cent of people whose work lives have been affected by aches and pains believe they would return to normal work once they get access to the treatment and care they need – such as hip and knee replacements for arthritis.<\/p>\n Jim Easton, chief executive of Practice Plus Group<\/a> hospitals, which commissioned the research, said: \u201cWe often downplay \u2018aches and pains\u2019 but they amount to a significant impact on people\u2019s quality of life.<\/p>\n \u201cThis research has revealed huge numbers of people living with chronic aches and pains affecting every area of their personal and working lives.<\/p>\n “This is why it\u2019s so important we help people access the treatment and care they need whether that\u2019s NHS and reducing waiting lists, or making private healthcare more affordable – because people\u2019s lives are on hold.\u201d<\/p>\n When it came to personal lives, almost half (46 per cent) of those with health issues have difficulties with everyday tasks such as shopping or housework, and 42 per cent lean on others for support more than they\u2019d like.<\/p>\n More broadly, of all respondents to experience a health issue that\u2019s impacted everyday life \u2013 sleeping<\/a> comfortably, walking long distances, or even sitting or standing for prolonged periods was difficult, according to the\u00a0OnePoll.com<\/a>\u00a0data.<\/p>\n ‘Saved my life’ shoppers claim about joint spray perfect for any menopause symptoms and it\u2019s slashed to \u00a34.99 in Home Bargains<\/p>\n While the parents and grandparents polled struggled to physically keep up with their kids and grand kids respectively, with a fifth feeling guilty for not being as involved as they\u2019d like.<\/p>\n ‘ I couldn\u2019t work, drive, or walk due to excruciating hip pain’ 2<\/p>\n Crippling joint pain in Linda Hand’s hips and knees stopped her in her tracksCredit: Getty<\/p>\n An example of such a negative impact such ailments can have on everyday life is that of Linda Hand, 58, from Stamford, Lincolnshire<\/a>.<\/p>\n A self-employed property surveyor, her work is physically demanding, needing to keep fit and agile to climb ladders and crawl through loft spaces.<\/p>\n However, crippling joint pain<\/a> in her hips and knees stopped her in her tracks, resulting in lost earnings and financial stress.<\/p>\n Her GP<\/a> advised that the prospect of surgery at her local NHS hospital could be up to a four-year wait due to her relatively young age.<\/p>\n Linda said: \u201cI was very depressed. By this point, I couldn\u2019t work, drive, or walk due to excruciating hip pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing how broken the NHS is and how long I would have to wait for a hip replacement, I felt hopeless.<\/p>\n \u201cAt 58, I was starting to think of myself as just getting old and resigning myself to a life of pain while waiting for surgery<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Linda looked into a local private hospital but couldn\u2019t afford it. She then found Wellsoon from Practice Plus Group, which has a hospital in Barlborough, Derbyshire<\/a>, a two-hour drive away, and could afford her total hip replacement.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cWe are by no means rich and paying for surgery was a big consideration, but I am so glad I went for it. I\u2019m now recovering well and have felt like myself again for the first time in ages.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m able to earn again, which I wouldn\u2019t have been had I not paid to have surgery sooner.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m enjoying playing Padel<\/a>, doing Pilates, walking and swimming<\/a>. I feel my new hip has given me my life back.\u201d<\/p>\n Jim Easton, from Practice Plus Group hospitals, added: \u201cWe see a lot of self-employed people like Linda choosing our Wellsoon private surgery as it\u2019s very easy to compare the cost of the operation with a loss of earnings over time.<\/p>\n \u201cFollowing the recent budget, I expect we\u2019ll see more people take action to get their lives back on track as they\u2019re trapped between not reaching their earning potential, and waiting for the NHS lists to come down.<\/p>\n \u201cI would urge people to ask their GP to compare waiting times at different hospitals under the \u2018patient choice\u2019 initiative to get seen as soon as possible- and if considering going private, compare prices within an hour or two of where you live and look for price certainty in what you\u2019ll pay.\u201d<\/p>\n When to get back pain checked by a doctor<\/p>\n We all experience back pain from time-to-time.<\/p>\n Usually, it is a pulled muscle or strain. It could be an injury.<\/p>\n In most cases, back pain eases with time and rest (though it is it advised to keep moving with stretches or activity).<\/p>\n GP Dr Zoe Williams, Sun Health’s resident doctor, says if you notice any of these red flags, it\u2019s important to get it checked out by your doctor.<\/p>\n They include:<\/p>\n These symptoms could be a sign of a slipped disc \u2013 also known as a herniated disc \u2013 some types of cancer, infection, fracture, or rheumatoid or vascular diseases.<\/p>\n Numbness in the leg can be a warning sign of sciatica, which often starts with nerve pain in the leg, and can cause weakness as well as pins and needles.<\/p>\n While rare, symptoms such as numbness of your genitals can be a sign of a serious condition, cauda equina syndrome.<\/p>\n This is where something compresses the nerves right at the bottom of the spinal cord, and it is a medical emergency that often requires surgery.<\/p>\n If left, it can lead to paralysis of the leg, incontinence and a loss of sexual function.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HALF of Brits have experienced chronic aches and pains for more than a year – with a third…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4316],"tags":[105,4348,210,3061,437,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-54241","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthcare","10":"tag-mental-health-and-illness","11":"tag-nhs-crisis","12":"tag-section-healthnews-health","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114408877254392889","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/woman-pain-nech-holding-arms-989078443.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Senior](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/40e0e2de-c864-4067-87f9-134dee8d18cb.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n