How much are you supposed to do to "help yourself" when on long term sick leave

[Passportto]

A close friend has now been off work for 10 weeks with a bad back. She's in a lot of pain and is a leadership scale teacher in an SEN provision for teenager so can't really be in if she's not fully able - it's quite physical work.

Anyway she's seen GP and is on the list to see a consultant. She was having physio but decided it wasn't helping so stopped going.

I've suggested she sees an osteopath who has helped me a lot in the past. It's £40 per session but he's very good at knowing if he can help or not and will tell you if you'd be wasting your money. He might even be able to help with one session. She could afford it if she wanted to but is taking the attitude "why should I?" as she's "entitled" to six month's sick pay.

In her employer's shoes I think I might be inclined to wonder exactly how much pain she's in, if she won't even try this option or anything like it. She's been to see OH and is waiting to see what happens next.

Back pain is a very personal (and unpredictable) thing, which means it's a very individual choice around what therapy the sufferer decides to take. My experience of back pain is that physio hasn't really made much difference, although the advice I've gained from them about exercises to settle the pain which need to be done outside the sessions have been of greater value.

Pain is exhausting, and your friend might have become very down as a consequence of battling pain, and if they feel like I did, being confronted by the ticking clock telling them they have to get back to work, may be difficult to cope with during an acute period of back pain.

You could try supporting them rather than getting on their case?

It would be worth her talking to her employer as some schools pay for insurance for staff off sick any many policy's include services for employees to help them back to work such as physio, counselling etc. Some schools will also pay directly for these things if it will help get an employee back to work sooner.