# Back Pain: Causes, Aggravations and Remedies: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 3, Test 1, Listening Part 4

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 3, Test 1, Listening Part 4. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 31 | A | about a quarter of a million people are incapacitated with back pain every day. |
| 32 | B | Which I personally believe to be the major cause of problems for women. |
| 33 | B | we're beginning to realize the unique benefits of relaxation therapy. |
| 34 | C | But the body's response to back injury can be very counterproductive. |
| 35 | A | Up to 2 days, any longer makes our back muscles become weaker |
| 36 | B | Though it won't actually set it off in the first place, the weight will increase the strain and make things worse. |
| 37 | B | It can be useful to get special orthopedic chairs, but remember the most important improvement should be in our posture. |
| 38 | A | A real find for our patients has been the shock absorbing shoe insert, a cheap but very effective solution. |
| 39 | B | Though absolutely flat shoes can be a solution for some, others find their posture suffers. |
| 40 | C | your money is better spent on the more old-fashioned remedies. |

## Why these answers are right

**31. A.** The chart shows daily UK figures for people with back pain. Paula says about a quarter of a million people are incapacitated with back pain every day. A quarter of a million is 250,000, which matches column A; B shows twice that and C a million.

**32. B.** The question asks what the speaker thinks mainly causes back pain in women. She says women are vulnerable because of pregnancy and osteoporosis, then names osteoporosis as what she personally believes to be the major cause, so B is correct.

**33. B.** You need the treatment the clinic favors. Paula calls bed rest and pain killers traditional responses, then says the clinic is beginning to realize the unique benefits of relaxation therapy. Exercise is backed by other specialists but described as easily mishandled, so B fits.

The why and the trap for questions 34 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/back-pain-causes-aggravations-and-remedies/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** Section 4.

**Announcer:** You are going to hear a radio talk on back pain, given by Doctor Paula Clayberg of Liverpool's Wilton clinic.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.

**Announcer:** Now listen carefully to the talk, and answer questions 31 to 40.

**Presenter:** Today's Health Counsel is presented by Paula Clayburg, who is the chief counselor at Liverpool's famous pain clinic, the Wilton Clinic.

**Presenter:** Uh. Paula.

**Paula Clayburg:** Do you know what Prince Charles, Seve Ballesteros, and Elizabeth Taylor have in common?

**Paula Clayburg:** They all suffer from chronic back pain.

**Paula Clayburg:** In fact, bad backs are one of the most common health problems today, affecting people in all walks of life.

**Paula Clayburg:** The most recent available figures show that about a quarter of a million people are incapacitated with back pain every day.

**Paula Clayburg:** And many sufferers don't know the cause or the solution to their problem.

**Paula Clayburg:** The majority of our patients at the clinic tend to be women.

**Paula Clayburg:** They are especially vulnerable because of pregnancy, but also because of osteoporosis.

**Paula Clayburg:** Which I personally believe to be the major cause of problems for women.

**Paula Clayburg:** I have many women patients who say they have completely given up exercise, because the pain makes them so miserable.

**Paula Clayburg:** But of course, that starts up a vicious circle.

**Paula Clayburg:** Bed rest, giving up exercise, and pain killers are traditional responses to back pain but, although there are many excellent drugs on the market, at our clinic, we're beginning to realize the unique benefits of relaxation therapy.

**Paula Clayburg:** Other specialists in the field make a strong case for certain types of exercise, but in our experience, they are easily mishandled, and can lead to more harm than good.

**Paula Clayburg:** Now let's look at some of the reasons why back pain is developing into such a unique menace.

**Paula Clayburg:** In general, the body is pretty good at self repair.

**Paula Clayburg:** A strain or a blow to a limb, though painful at the time, generally resolves itself.

**Paula Clayburg:** But the body's response to back injury can be very counterproductive.

**Paula Clayburg:** When pain strikes, we attempt to keep the back as immobile as possible, which makes the muscles tense up.

**Paula Clayburg:** Research shows that they often go into spasm,

**Paula Clayburg:** which causes further twisting of the spine; a vicious circle is underway.

**Paula Clayburg:** The second mistake we often make when stricken with extreme back pain is to go to bed and stay there.

**Paula Clayburg:** Although at the clinic, we recognize that a short rest in bed can be helpful.

**Paula Clayburg:** Up to 2 days, any longer makes our back muscles become weaker and unable to hold up our spine.

**Paula Clayburg:** The pain therefore becomes worse.

**Paula Clayburg:** Another problem is being overweight.

**Paula Clayburg:** Anyone a stone or more overweight, who already has back pain, is not doing himself any favors.

**Paula Clayburg:** Though it won't actually set it off in the first place, the weight will increase the strain and make things worse.

**Paula Clayburg:** The British diet could be partially to blame for the increase in back pain.

**Paula Clayburg:** Over the last 10 years, the average weight of men has risen by 11 pounds.

**Paula Clayburg:** And of women by 9 pounds.

**Paula Clayburg:** So much for the causes and aggravations of pain, but what can we do to help?

**Paula Clayburg:** There are many ways in which simple day to day care can make all the difference.

**Paula Clayburg:** The first point to watch of course is weight.

**Paula Clayburg:** If you are overweight, a diet will make all the difference.

**Paula Clayburg:** Also, studies have shown that just 1 hour sitting in a slouched position can strain ligaments in the back which can take months to heal.

**Paula Clayburg:** At the clinic, we have come to the conclusion that the major cause of the problem is not with the design of chairs, as some have suggested, but in the way we sit in them.

**Paula Clayburg:** It can be useful to get special orthopedic chairs, but remember the most important improvement should be in our posture.

**Paula Clayburg:** Another enemy of your back is of course your beds.

**Paula Clayburg:** If your bed doesn't give enough support, back muscles and ligaments work all night trying to correct spinal alignment.

**Paula Clayburg:** So you wake up with a tired aching back.

**Paula Clayburg:** Try out an orthopedic mattress or a spring slatted bed.

**Paula Clayburg:** Research shows that both can be beneficial for certain types of back pain.

**Paula Clayburg:** Another hazard for your back are the shock waves which travel up your spine when you walk, known as heel strike.

**Paula Clayburg:** A real find for our patients has been the shock absorbing shoe insert, a cheap but very effective solution.

**Paula Clayburg:** And you might be better off avoiding shoes with heels higher than one and a half inches.

**Paula Clayburg:** Though absolutely flat shoes can be a solution for some, others find their posture suffers.

**Paula Clayburg:** Finally, a word about the state-of-the-art relief, the TENS machine, a small battery-powered gadget, which delivers subliminal electrical pulses to the skin.

**Paula Clayburg:** Our experience indicates that your money is better spent on the more old-fashioned remedies.

**Announcer:** That is the end of Section 4.

**Announcer:** You will now have half a minute to check your answers.

[Practice Back Pain: Causes, Aggravations and Remedies](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/back-pain-causes-aggravations-and-remedies)