APTA Launches Low Back Pain Campaign
This week, APTA launched a public awareness campaign to educate consumers about how to prevent and treat low back pain with the help of a physical therapist. The goal of the campaign is to drive people to www.moveforwardpt.com to learn more about low back pain, the ways in which a physical therapist can help, and to find a PT. The initial phase of the campaign will target top-tier national print, broadcast and online media.
The effort is supported by the results of APTA's “Move Forward” Low Back Pain Survey of more than 2,600 people aged 18 and older who disclosed their experiences and habits regarding low back pain. View APTA's press release for some of the key findings. Working with member volunteers, APTA also developed Low Back Pain: Prevention and Management, an e-book that broadly examines the types, causes, and symptoms of low back pain and when to seek medical advice.
Social media also will play a large role throughout the promotion of the campaign. An infographic titled Low Back Pain by the Numbers, which graphically illustrates the results of the survey, is being shared across Move Forward's Twitter and Facebook pages, in addition to Move Forward's new Pinterest page. APTA will encourage fans, followers, and friends to "Pin-Away Low Back Pain," for a chance to win prizes.
Move Forward will host its first BlogTalkRadio show on April 23, 7 pm ET, to discuss the results of the survey. Guests will include APTA spokesperson Mary Ann Wilmarth, PT, DPT, who will discuss strategies for relieving low back pain. Mike Ryan, PT, ATC, PES, athletic trainer for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and CoLette Morgan, MD, with Emory University and AARP's Georgia chapter, will join the show to discuss back pain as it relates to athletes and aging, respectively. The show will also cover prevention strategies and proper techniques for everyday activities.