Prevent Low Back Pain
Low back pain affects hundreds of thousands of people each year and nearly 80% of the population suffers from it at some point in their lifetime. While we may not be able to completely prevent the occurrence of it there are things that we can do to further prevent it from happening and then speed the recovery process once it has happened.
One of the reasons that many people experience the pain and discomfort of a low back injury is because of the change in lifestyle that has happened in the past decades. The Standard Western diet, high in fats, processed foods and sugars, has been a major contributor to the increasing rates of obesity in society.Plus, lack of exercise and sitting at a desk all day increases the risk of lower back pain.
Preventing low back pain means taking positive action to improve your overall health as well as your back health. It may seem obvious but the first thing to do to prevent injury or pain is to protect the back in your activities. This means learning the correct ways of lifting, sitting and standing.Slouching while sitting or standing puts stress on the lower back and increases the chance of injury.
Another side benefit of learning to sit and stand correctly is the reduced risk of having upper back pain.Poor posture is one of the main causes of upper back pain. Slouching forward places more strain on your back.Sitting straighter and walking in a more upright position will help relieve that pain. This protects the back from top to bottom.
You need to be careful when lifting heavy weights as there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Each of those activities can lead to an injury.You might think your injury came from bending down, but the actual cause might be from years of bad posture and sleeping positions over the years
Exercise is also an important aspect to prevention of low back pain. Proper exercises will help to improve the core muscles, strengthen the back and improve flexibility. All of these benefits will help to decrease the risk of developing low back pain. Strong and flexible muscles will protect the spinal column, decrease the risk of a herniated disc and improve your overall appearance.
Try to change your sleeping positions. If you think about it you are in some of the same positions every night for between 5 and 8 hours. That’s more time than you spend doing almost anything else. Try not to sleep on your stomach which will increase the stress on your lower back. Instead sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees or on your back with a pillow under your knees. Some individuals also find that sleeping with a small towel rolled up under their lower back is comfortable.
Women should wear low heeled shoes as they are easier on their back muscles. While the occasional evening out in spike heels won’t cause consistent damage, women who wear high heels often find that it puts stress on the lower back and hips.
As was alluded in the first part, obesity also plays a role in the development of low back pain. As people gain weight this places more and more strain on the back muscles to keep the body in alignment. People who suffer from chronic back pain may find that just by losing 20 or 30 pounds they are able to reduce their pain and manage it without medications.
Other risk factors are part of the aging process–osteoporosis and arthritis.This particularly important in women but also can affect men as well. Smoking is one preventable factor that increases the risk of osteoporosis and increases sensitivity to pain. Smoking will also decrease blood flow and the supply of oxygen to the spinal discs, a major factor in low back pain.
While most people will suffer from lower back pain at some point in their lives there are specific treatment protocols and methods of prevention that can help to speed the recovery process and reduce the risk of the problem happening again.
Popularity: 17% [?]
- Additional Resources
- Short-sighted? How to See Better Naturally
A 25-year old man suffered from myopia or short-sightedness, but was determined to get rid of his glasses. He had heard of the Bates Method...
- Helful Tips In Choosing Corporate Gifts
A very popular and extremely effective way of showing how much you appreciate your client is to give him a corporate gift. Presenting gifts...
Related posts:
- Exercises For Lower Back Pain – Feel Better, Stand Taller, Look Great Everyone who suffers from back pain knows that it can greatly limit what they do in life. Even the simplest of things suddenly becomes extremely...
- Unusual Movement May Cause Back Pain After Knee Surgery Many persons anticipating knee surgery often look forward to their life getting back to normal once the knee surgery has healed and for the most...
- Diagnosing posture for back pain There are many things that can cause a case of back pain. Car accidents, falls, heavy lifting, sudden movements and more can cause pain to...
- Diagnosing posture for back pain There are many things that can cause a case of back pain. Car accidents, falls, heavy lifting, sudden movements and more can cause pain to...
- Diagnosing Posture For Back Pain There are many things that can cause a case of back pain. Car accidents, falls, heavy lifting, sudden movements and more can cause pain to...