10 Tips to Prevent Back Pain

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Align Medical & Chiropractic

Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010. With 1/2 of all working Americans admitting to having back pain symptoms each year, it’s a good thing to keep some tips in mind to prevent back pain from restricting your quality of life. Check out these 10 tips to preventing back pain. so you can make sure back pain won’t slow your life down.

 

Maintain a healthy diet and weight

Maintaining a healthy diet and weight leads to a lot of pluses. When you begin to watch your diet and weight, you naturally place your body in a position to be able to operate at a more efficient and healthy manner. Many of the benefits, in addition to less strain on your back, are decreased breast cancer risk, improved heart health, more mobility resulting in enjoying exercises, increased fertility, and better sleep.

 

Remain active — under the supervision of your doctor of chiropractic

Resting your back after injury may be obvious of course, however introducing back exercises while under supervision of your chiropractor can not only help heal your back faster, but decreases the chances of stiffness and allows more blood flow.

 

Avoid prolonged inactivity or bed rest

This ties in to the idea that introducing back exercises can help speed up your recovery. If you decide to keep laying in bed and not move at all, your back injury will only take that much longer to recover, and it may be even more painful since you were not stimulating any blood flow to the injured area.

 

Warm up or stretch before exercising or other physical activities, such as gardening

Nothing can bring back an old injury like not warming up and introducing strain to your back right away. This can cause your injury to flare up once again. So it’s best to take it easy, and just be aware of your movements and work into them gradually.

 

Maintain proper posture

Being conscious of keeping a proper posture will allow your back muscles to avoid unnecessary strain, and to function the correct way. Shift your weight to the balls of your feet and keep your knees slightly bent.

 

Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes

f you are already suffering from lower back pain, wearing high heels can most likely make it worse. This is because high heels can predispose you to facet joint stress and misalignment, leading to facet syndrome which is pain at the joint between two vertebrae in your spine.

 

Sleep on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve in your spine

Minimizing the curve in your spine lets your back muscles relax, rather than stay engaged over an 8 hour night sleep.

 

Lift Properly

Lift with your knees, keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting. Proper lifting technique can go a long way. When you take your time lifting heavy objectives, focus on your posture and technique, and you’ll save yourself from accidentally straining your back muscles.

 

Quit smoking

Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues.

 

Make sure your computer workstation is ergonomically correct

Work with your doctor of chiropractic to adjust your workstation so that it is not causing any harm or stress to your back muscles. Have questions or would like to schedule your chiropractic appointment with us? Call us today at (623) 229-6193 or schedule your appointment online.