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More than 90% of back pain is caused by muscle weakness in the back or the abdomen or both. You can take care of back pain and prevent it from recurring by maintaining correct alignment and good posture into your unconscious patterns that more you through the day and by strengthening the muscle groups that sustain it.
Medical experts have found that the reason for lower back pain is especially due to the relentless and abnormal demands made on our backs by modern lifestyle habits. Too much sitting, and slouching around, too little exercise, overweight and chronic stress are some of the reason for occurrence of back pain. Below are some tips to help to prevent and overcome lower back pain.
Watch your posture, especially at work. When at your desk, do you keep your back straight most of the time, or do you continually lean forward at an angle? Sitting hunched over at your desk for extended periods can cause the muscles on the front of your torso to shorten and your back muscles to become weak and stretched out. Over time, office workers with muscle imbalances from a continually slumped posture may develop rounded shoulders and a forward neck posture, leading to chronic back and neck pain.
EXERCISE
Regular exercise is important to help maintain mobility and strength. It should be done without pain and it should be done regularly. Brisk walking, swimming and cycling are all excellent exercises, but you should do what is suitable for you and what you enjoy.
WARM UP
You should warm up your body before any form of physical activity, whether it is sports, gardening or DIY'ing. This prepares the body for action and helps to prevent injuries.
When lifting, never bend down from the waist, lower and raise yourself at the knees. Keep your back straight and hold the object close to your body. If you are going to carry anything any distance that may be heavy, make sure that your way is clear. You do not want to be dodging around things when you are carrying.
GET THE RIGHT FURNITURE
So called "comfortable chairs" do not do your back any good. They are usually too low, too soft and the seat is too long with a rounded back. They force you to slouch and sit awkwardly which puts stress on your back. Choose a chair that is supportive, allows you to sit up correctly with your feet flat on the floor. The right bed is also important. Beds can be too hard. The base of the bed should be firm and the mattress should be soft enough to mould to the contours of your body but be firm enough to give you support in the right places. Futons are not good for most backs and the word "Orthopaedic" when applied to beds means absolutely nothing.
Sleeping Position
Lying on your side - Put a pillow at your back to keep your neck inline with your head. Also, a pillow between the knees take some of the pressure off the back.
Lying on your back - A pillow under the knees take pressure off the lower spine.
Lying on your stomach - Place a pillow under your tummy to keep the spine alined with the neck and head.
Now, if you are parent, grandparent or a daycare worker and you are suffering from back pain, there is every chance that you hurt your back by lifting a child improperly. They might be small and apparently weightless but if you do the lifting improperly they can be real heavy on your back. And this is equally true for other weights small or relatively bigger. Most of us tend to just bend over and lift the object, which is the wrong way of doing it. Here is how one should lift a weight properly.
First and foremost, plan the lift, which means you think about the object and where it has to be moved so. This would avoid unnecessary movements while you are holding the object. If you have another person helping you out, make sure that you both agree on the plan so that you do not end up planning while you are carrying the object.
Before you lift the object, go down and hug it close to your body, and get a firm hold on it. Your feet must be firmly planted on the ground and should be shoulder-wide apart. Now, straighten your back and do not let it arc at any point of time. Try applying a little force so as to gauge how much effort it would take for you to lift the object. This would prevent the weight coming heavy on your back all of a sudden, unexpected.
With your back straight and stomach in, bring your body to a standing position with the object held firmly in your arms. This would make your legs do most of the work and your back would not creak under the weight. The lesser your back and spine move during the lifting, the lesser chances you have of injuring your back.
And if your job involves lifting on a regular basis, it would be good for you if you use back support. Get into a habit of lifting objects properly and you would never have to suffer from back pain ever again.