We all know back pain can be debilitating—but what are some proven ways to avoid it? If you’re serious about taking better care of yourself, it pays to know which things are likely to put stress on your back and which aren’t. We asked the experts to share the best prevention strategies.
As a busy professional, you know how much back pain can cost you in lost productivity and missed opportunities. But you don’t have to suffer with painful, debilitating back pain! In this blog, we’ll go over 20 simple, proven strategies you can use to ease back pain and prevent it from becoming a regular part of your life.
The most common back injury is an overuse injury from poor posture. It happens when our back muscles are constantly engaged without rest. This constant engagement leads to inflammation and spasms that eventually develop into pain. We’ll give you the 20 Proven Ways to Avoid Back Pain, and then we’ll get into some additional information on the best ways to deal with back pain once it develops.
Build Strong Muscles
What do you need to do to avoid back pain? One proven way to reduce the likelihood of back pain is to exercise your lower body regularly. Specifically, three muscle groups are especially important in maintaining healthy lower back alignment. These three groups include the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. They are also important when it comes to building strong muscles.
Stretch Regularly
Stretching is a great way to prevent and treat back pain. The key to stretching correctly is to do it regularly and gradually. Begin your stretching program with the stretches for low back pain and work your way up to stretching for neck and upper back pain. Most people can do these stretches in under a minute, so there’s no excuse to avoid them.
Get Adequate Sleep
A survey done by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) found that the number one problem that causes chronic back pain is sleeping on your stomach. To prevent this, keep in mind that sleeping on your back is the best position, while sleeping on your side and back are worse positions. As far as adequate sleep goes, many people find that getting seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep each night is ideal, but they often don’t realize the need for a full night’s sleep.
Exercise Regularly
According to Atlas Chiropractic Clinic, people who exercise regularly reduce their risk of back pain by about 50% (compared to those who don’t exercise). What does this mean? It means that your chances of getting back pain increase if you’re inactive or if you don’t exercise. But if you do exercise, your chances of getting back pain decrease by a significant amount. So, if you want to lower your chances of back pain, you should start exercising regularly.
Pay attention to your posture
If your shoulders slump forward, your arms hang loosely, and your upper back is rounded, you’re not paying attention to how you stand. The result? Most likely, you’re putting unnecessary stress on your spine and body. To avoid back pain, start by adopting a healthy posture. Good posture is all about sitting up straight, keeping your head high and looking ahead, and keeping your hands at your side.
Be careful how you lift
The best thing you can do is lift properly. This is a really easy way to hurt yourself. To prevent back pain, stand up straight and lift your chest as high as possible. The natural curve of your spine will help absorb any pressure. If you bend forward, you put the pressure on your lower back.
Maintain your ideal weight
People who are overweight have a greater chance of developing back pain because their center of gravity is shifted forward, making the spine more vulnerable to injury. Studies show that people who weigh less than about 200 pounds, or a BMI of 20, have a better chance of avoiding back problems than those who are heavier. For many, extra pounds, especially in the midsection, can make back pain worse by shifting your center of gravity and putting strain on your lower back. Losing about one-tenth of your body weight is recommended to control back pain.
Take care of your seat
The way to avoid backpain is simple—use a chair designed to fit you. Sitting in an ergonomically designed chair is essential if you want to avoid back pain. According to studies, sitting in an ergonomic chair for the recommended eight hours per day reduced back problems by as much as 75%.
Avoid tight clothes
Your clothing choices should be made with care and thought. That means choosing clothes that are comfortable and allow you to move freely, and that you can wear for a long period of time without discomfort. Tight clothing that doesn’t allow proper movement can exacerbate back pain.
Take enough breaks
As we sit at our computers for longer periods of time, it’s not just our physical bodies that suffer. According to a recent study published by the National Academy of Sciences, long periods of sitting can contribute to a condition called “sedentary lifestyle disease,” which includes problems like back pain. This study also found that taking breaks every 10 minutes to stop and take a quick walk around. And every 20 minutes, even if you took a break in between, stand and spend at least 2 minutes away from your computer, this helps your eyes to readjust to the new position of your computer screen.
Avoid sitting on items like your wallet
When you’re going to be sitting for a long period of time, make sure you don’t have any items in your pocket. While driving, take your wallet out of your back pocket.
Stop Smoking
Research shows that smoking is a major cause of backpain. Studies conducted at St. George’s Hospital in London found that smokers who stopped using cigarettes for six months had a 50% lower chance of getting back problems than people who had never smoked. Other research showed that those who smoked for 20 years or longer had a 70% greater risk of developing back problems than nonsmokers. Smoking restricts blood supply to the discs in the spine, smokers are especially vulnerable to back problems.
Get Regular Massages
According to the National Institute of Health, regular massages “reduce chronic lower back pain and can help improve overall function and quality of life.” And a 2014 report from the American Physical Therapy Association found that people who received regular massage treatments reported fewer chronic pain symptoms than those who didn’t.
Don’t work on your phone
Working on your smartphone or tablet is hard on your neck. That’s because of the awkward position you’re forced into. To avoid back pain, it’s important to avoid looking down all the time. Instead, take breaks every 30 minutes and give your head a full shake.
It’s OK to send occasional texts and emails while on the go. But when you type on your phone, you bend your head and curve your spine. If you exercise or perform any activity that lasts for more than a few minutes without a break, it could put stress on the delicate vertebrae in your neck.
The solution is very simple. You should save longer messages for when you can sit down at a computer with a straight spine.
Don’t use back braces
Using a back brace to correct a back injury is like wearing a straitjacket; the pain is worse than the original problem and there’s no improvement in the condition, says Dr. Jonathan Goins, Chiropractor and owner of Atlas Chiropractic Clinic.
According to a study published in Spine, using a back brace did not prevent future back problems or reduce the need for surgery.
Adjust your desk
You may have thought that your desk is perfect, but if it isn’t ergonomic, it could be costing you a lot of money in the long run.
Many of us tend to slouch our whole body and head down in front of our desks. But this bad habit keeps our muscles tight and makes us prone to backaches.
You can correct your posture, and therefore avoid backpain by adjusting your desk at the right height
Find the Best Chiropractor
Your chiropractor is the one who can tell you which exercises are best for relieving pain in your back, and what type of treatment is appropriate for your condition.
The best place to start looking for a chiropractor in your area is by visiting the website https://atlaschiro.ph/, where you can find best the chiropractic clinic and chiropractic treatments.
Wear the right shoes
If you’re someone who suffers from back pain, you should wear shoes that are comfortable. I don’t mean sneakers or flip-flops.
You’ll never want to be caught dead wearing those types of shoes. They just don’t have enough support. But if you have some sort of arch support problem, then you should wear something that’s more supportive.
Avoid Stress
Stress is one of the greatest causes of back pain. This is due to the fact that stress impacts our body’s posture in a number of ways.
It impairs our ability to breathe properly, making it harder to get oxygen into our blood stream. It can impact the way our muscles, joints and bones function.
As stress levels rise, we lose sleep, which further exacerbates the problem. It’s important to note that back pain is very different from injury.
The latter refers to something that happened during physical activity and is caused by something going wrong. In contrast, back pain is a symptom, and its cause lies in the body and brain.
Eating Right
Many people assume that back pain is only caused by aging and wearing down, but that’s really only part of the picture. There are other causes as well. One of the most common is a diet that is too heavy, too acidic, or too full of processed food.
Not eating a healthy, balanced diet also contributes to poor posture, muscle tension, and stress levels, all of which increase the risk of back problems. Eating nutritious foods like lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables can help keep your back strong and prevent back pain.
Here are some of the best foods for keeping your back strong: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to the body’s normal functions and are found in high concentrations in fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in walnuts and flax seeds. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and help reduce inflammation in the body, including inflammation in the joints and muscles.
When inflammation is reduced, it is easier to maintain proper posture and relieve muscle tension. Omega-3 fatty acids can also help with depression and anxiety. Lean Proteins Protein helps build and repair tissue. Lean meats are one of the best sources of protein for people who eat a vegetarian or vegan diet. Eggs are also a great source of protein, and they’re easy to make at home.
Fruits and Vegetables Eating fruits and vegetables can help keep your immune system strong. They’re also loaded with fiber, which keeps you full longer and helps reduce weight gain. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that can help fight off infections and slow down the aging process.
In conclusion
We all know how painful it is to sit at a desk, day after day, staring at a computer screen. This is especially true when you’re an office worker or an entrepreneur who spends many hours each day staring at a computer screen. The good news is that there are many ways you can change your posture to reduce back pain and improve your health. Here are 20 proven ways to avoid back pain:
- 1. Build strong muscles.
- 2. Stretch regularly.
- 3. Get adequate Sleep.
- 4. Exercise Regularly.
- 5. Pay attention to your posture.
- 6. Be careful how you lift.
- 7. Maintain your ideal weight.
- 8. Take care of your seat.
- 9. Avoid tight clothes.
- 10. Take enough breaks.
- 11. Avoid sitting on items like your wallet.
- 12. Stop Smoking.
- 13. Get Regular Massages.
- 14. Don’t work on your phone.
- 15. Don’t use back braces.
- 16. Adjust your desk.
- 17. Find the Best Chiropractor.
- 18. Wear the right shoes.
- 19. Avoid Stress.
- 20. Eat right.
For more information on avoiding back pain, read “WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO STARTING EACH DAY WITH STRETCHING?, What are the benefits to starting each day with stretching?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, so please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions that haven’t been covered yet.
In case you are injured or you feel physical complications, please do give us a call at +63 (0) 960-811-5931 and visit our chiropractic clinic for a chiropractic treatment or find more information on our website https://atlaschiro.ph/
