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DAILY EXPRESS

Almost half the population gets back trouble but as 23-year-old Aston Villa striker Darius Vassell tells HILARY FREEMAN, he copes - with an ingenious new gadget he can use at home.

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Daily Mail Oct 2003


Daily Express Mar 2004



Daily Mail Feb 2004
Backlife featured in the Daily Mails TOP TEN CURES BACK PAIN



Sunday Post

NEW BACK MACHINE SCORES
 WITH DARIUS

On February 13, 2002 all eyes were on a shy 21-year-old as he ran on to the pitch for his first England match. The team was losing 1-0 to Holland but fans expected little from the young striker. Then David Beckham crossed the ball and the new boy took his chance, smashing it into the back of the net. The crowd roared. England had equalised and Darius Vassell had arrived. Since then Darius has earned 15 England caps. He has also become a formidable goal scoring force in his Premiership club, Aston Villa. But he has fought against the scourge of all footballers: injury. In addiion to knee and ankel problems, Darius has also suffered from lower back pain - an affliction which affects half the population. Footballers are particularly prone to it. Villa's chartered physiotherapist, Alan Smith, says: "Running, stretching and twisting on hard ground puts terrible stress on a player's spine and joints." But now Darius has become one of the first people in the UK to use a revolutionary machine which brings hospital technology into the home. The player is now pain-free and hasn't missed a game through back trouble since he started using the Backlife device three months ago. Born and brought up in Birmingham, Darius was first spotted by a Villa talent scout at 11. He joined the youth team and was selected for the first team in 1998 when he was 18. He scored twice on his debut, a UEFA cup match against Swedish team Stromsgodset. "I scored two goals in just 10 minutes," he says. "It was incredible and the fans went mad. You can't explain the feeling - I wanted to do it again and again. We were losing two-one when I came on the pitch and I felt like I had saved the team. After the match I went home and watched it on TV with my mum. That day and my England debut are the highlights of my career."

The low points have been when injuries have kept him on the sidelines. "No footballer can avoid accidents," he says. "You feel frustrated that you'll lose your place in the team and have to fight your way back. It's every player's nightmare. Whenever I'm feeling down, I watch my England debut on video. Knowing I've scored for my country - that I've been selected to play for it and that the nation is cheering me on - is a big confidence boost."

Alan Smith says that at least four of Villa's 30-man squad suffer from back pain and this figure is probably reflected throughout the country's top football clubs. Darius says: "I've sometimes suffered from lower back pain and stiffness. It's important to keep my back loose and flexible. The looser it is, the less likely you are to injure the rest of your body, particularly your legs. So when the physio suggested I give Backlife a try, I was interested to see if it could help."

The machine was developed by scientists in Israel. It's only 46cm high and 40cm wide but very powerful. A back pain sufferer lies on their back with their knees bent over the top of the machine and it moves their pelvis gently in a regular circular motion. This relieves pressure on the spinal vertebrae and discs while massaging the back and relaxing the muscles.

It's particularly effective for those with a slipped disc or trapped nerve. The device works on the same principle as a medical procedure known as continuous passive movement (CPM).

Research has found that when damaged joints are manipulated, the injury heals more quickly and effectively. Basic osteopathy and physiotherapy are based on this knowledge.

CPM expert Dr Eyal Lederman, of the General Osteopathic Council, says: "The Backlife method is very gentle, required no medical supervision and there is little chance of patients suffering adverse reactions. It's also safe for children to use. For the best possible results, it should be used three times a day for 12 minutes."

Darius says his pain is reduced and regular use of the machine has made his lower back feel looser: "I've definitely noticed an improvement," he says. "It took a few weeks to feel the benefits but now I'm much less stiff."

Alan Smith believes the proof is in Darius's goal-scoring performance - he has chalked up seven goals in his last eight Premiership matches.