Are you suffering from lower back pain?
You’re not alone. More than 50 million Americans suffer from some kind of chronic pain. This can be debilitating and keep you from living the kind of life you want. It can also make you vulnerable to more injury since you’ll be compensating for your bad lower back.
Not to worry. There are ways to get back on track and prevent further injury. You have to approach the issue from all angles. Read on for tips on how to prevent lower back pain.
Strengthen Your Core
Without a strong core, you’ll be prone to more lower back pain than you’d like. It may not logistically make sense given the areas of the body, but your core has a lot to do with your back since many of those muscles actually wrap around toward the lower back and spine.
By strengthening your core, you can avoid compensating with your lower back muscles especially when standing, walking or lifting.
You don’t have to hit the gym hard to target your core. Simply walking, hiking or other light cardio workouts will work to strengthen it. You can also try holding a plank for one minute per day.
Be sure to take the plank on your knees if your lower back is already weak or sore and build up to raising the knees and staying on the balls of your feet.
Stretch
Before or after you exercise it’s important to stretch your muscles, especially your hamstrings. You should consider doing this even if you don’t work out since your muscles can become tight from long days sitting at a desk or doing other types of work.
When your hamstrings become tense, they pull at the glute muscles and the lower back muscles. You hamstring actually runs all the way from the back of your lower leg all the way up to just below your pelvis.
Many people think of hamstrings as being an isolated muscle that exists on the back of your thigh. They don’t realize that tension and tightness can easily travel all the way up and pull at your lower back causing it to become sore and irritated.
Try to do a few minutes of hamstring stretches per day to help keep the muscles loose and ease tension from your lower back.
There are also physical therapy and chiropractor benefits you can receive if you visit them regularly. They can teach you stretches to do at home and tailor them to your specific needs.
Go Ergonomic When Possible
If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, driving or traveling, this could cause significant lower back pain. Invest in an ergonomic chair or opt for a standing desk. You can also ask your employer to provide this since many companies are making the move to ergonomic office furniture already.
This should help you remain in proper alignment and keep a strong, straight posture throughout the day. This way you aren’t bending, leaning, hunching or ignoring the natural curve in your lower back. The ergonomic chair will actually work to keep the curve so you aren’t straining your muscles.
Aside from investing in the right work furniture, you should try to stand up and walk around as much as possible throughout the day. This helps with blood flow and circulation to your body so your muscles and joints don’t stiffen as easily.
Exercise Right
While an exercise regiment can be a helpful component to reducing or preventing lower back pain, it can also be the cause. If you aren’t careful, you can injure your lower back while working out and cause yourself some longterm problems.
Don’t push yourself in a workout if you’re tired or if the weight is too heavy. This is one of the number one ways people experience an injury while exercising.
Some sports like golf and running leave its participants more prone to lower back injury than other activities so be sure to partake in a stretch routine and make yourself aware of the types of lower back injuries you could obtain by doing these sports.
Be sure you always stretch before you work out and afterward. Many people are quick to get out of the gym once the workout is over and fail to stretch properly and cool down to calm the muscles. This should be as important as any other aspect of your regiment.
Healthy Weight
Excess body fat can put a strain on your muscles and joints and cause back problems you didn’t have while at a healthy weight. Regular exercise and a good diet can help you stay at your goal weight and prevent injury.
When you’re overweight, your spine is saddled with more pressure than its used to which can cause slipped discs and more strain.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration can increase body pain because the joints and muscles aren’t staying lubricated. More than half the body is made up of water so failure to keep hydrated can throw your system out of whack.
Keeping the body hydrated can help it properly absorb shock, allowing your spine and discs to remain more protected when hydrated than they otherwise would.
Be Careful When Lifting
Heavy lifting is a large reason for lower back injury. You’ve probably heard the phrase “lift from the legs” before, as a warning against lower back problems from carrying heavy items.
Well, they’re not wrong. Lifting an item the wrong way can strain on the muscles and discs in your back and cause a longterm injury. Lifting from the legs utilizes the large muscles we already have there and avoids using the lower back muscles which are likely weaker than your legs no matter what kind of shape you’re in.
Sleep Well and on the Right Mattress
You may be putting your lower back in danger when you don’t even realize it. Have you ever woken up with more back pain than you went to sleep with? This is likely because your mattress wasn’t right or you slept in a position that caused you to be out of alignment.
Doctors still vary on which sleeping position is right so you’ll have to find one that meets your needs and helps to alleviate pain. You should also be sure your mattress isn’t too soft because then your back will never manage to stay aligned through the night.
Prevent Lower Back Pain Today
With this guide above, you can prevent lower back pain and treat any existing ailment.
Remaining aware of how you’re sleeping, standing, sitting and going about your daily life as it pertains to your lower back will help you implement these tips and see your back pain diminish.
Be sure to check out the rest of the site for more tips and don’t hesitate to contact us!
