Back Pain Prevention

Back pain, particularly lower back pain, is most often caused by strained back muscles and ligaments as a result of improper lifting techniques, or as a result of lifting an overly heavy load, or a result of sudden or awkward movement.

solution to avoiding or preventing back pain in majority of cases is simple: avoid accidents and any physical activities that place undue stress or strain on the muscles, bones, and other tissues in your back. However, we do not live in an ideal world, and this advice is not always possible to follow. Accidents do happen, and people will sometimes life heavy loads of perform physical activities that they later regret.

While it is impossible to undertake any activities that guarantee you will never get back pain, there are some simple activities that you can do to reduce your chances of suffering from back pain, and also improve your well being and reduce your chances of suffering from a whole range of other diseases.

There are two types of simple back pain prevention activities:

Keep Your Back Healthy and Strong

To keep a strong and healthy back, make following part of your daily life:

Exercise: regular aerobic activities which are low-impact (these include activities that don't damage or jerk your back) can boost strength and staying power in your back and help your muscles to keep healthy and strong. Walking and swimming are known to be very beneficial exercises.

Try Building Up Muscle Strength and Suppleness: particularly in the abdominal and back regions. Pilates exercise for instance is an excellent way of strengthening abdominal and back muscles and are known as Core Strengthening Exercises because they help condition muscles, which support your torso and back. Maintaining suppleness in your hips and thighs helps keep pelvic bones in correct alignment and reduces the chances of back pain.

Stop Smoking: smokers are not only at far higher risk of a range of serious health related issues, they also reduce oxygen levels in their spinal area, which slows healing down when damage in these areas occurs.

Keep Your Weight Down: overweight people are not only at far higher risk of a range of serious health related issues, they are also at a higher risk of developing back pain. Being overweight puts a huge strain on your muscles, bones, and soft tissues in and around back. If you are overweight, losing some excess poundage can prevent further back pain.

Body Mechanics

To keep a strong and healthy back, apply following techniques in your daily life:

Stand Correctly: adopt an excellent standing posture, which will ensure your pelvis is in a neutral position. If standing for long periods, place your feet alternatively on a low stool. This should help to take some of strain from your lower back.

Sit Smart: Select a chair that has a decent lower back support with arm rests. A swivel base is a good idea as it helps prevent twisting of body. Most modern office chairs come with shock absorbers that allow chair to sink down and absorb stress when you sit down, and these chairs can greatly reduces the strain on your back. If you need additional support, place a small cushion or a rolled up towel in the small of your back to preserve its natural curve. When you are sitting, try and keep knees and hips at same level.

Lift Correctly: Don't let your back do all work use your legs instead. When lifting something from the ground, ensure your back is as straight as possible and you use your legs to lift weight. That is, keep your back in a straight line and bend only at the knees. Holding the load as close as possible to your body can also help reduce strain placed on the back. It is especially important to avoid lifting and twisting at the same time, as this places enormous stress on your back, and grinds bones and soft tissues in your spine against each other. If you are lifting something heavy, then always consider finding someone to help you lift and move object.

Sleep Comfortably: If you suffer with back problems, choose a bed with a mattress that is supportive and not too hard. These types of mattress provide the best support for back and give the best comfort. Also use a minimum amount of pillows to support the head and ensure they are not too hard.

Back Pain