Back pain is like a loyal friend who stays with you through thick and thin. The only difference is that you don’t want this friend to even come closer to you. Fortunately, by adopting some proactive measures you can keep this unwanted company at bay.
How?
Let us tell you.
Try to avoid workplace strain
A workplace injury is a common term these days. Earlier we would only hear of strains and sprains caused due to heavy lifting, but today we also hear about pain due to spending hours glued to the desk. Being a little considerate and proactive about your health at your workplace can help in avoiding back pain.
If your work involves lifting heavy weights or dealing with large machinery, make sure you lift from your knees, not back. Also, refrain from lifting weight beyond your capacity. While operating machinery, take all the necessary precautions.
If your job requires you to sit at your desk for long hours, make sure you sit with the right posture. Also, take breaks in between your work and walk for 5 to 10 minutes or do light stretching exercises.
Bid farewell to your sedentary lifestyle
Sedentariness is the biggest contributor to back pain. People who lead a sedentary lifestyle tend to gain weight and their body loses tone and becomes weak. It leads to weakness, muscle pain, and a whole lot of health issues.
Leading an active lifestyle can knock down all the pins. Even if your work keeps you dead busy, make time for exercise. A 20-to-60-minute session can help you gain strength and stamina. Include strength exercises, cardio exercises, and stretching.
While planning your strength exercise routine, include exercises that target arms, shoulders, chest, glutes, core, and back to enhance their endurance.
Take a healthy diet
You would have already heard it a hundred times, and we are going to repeat it because it is necessary. Everything that crosses your throat and reaches your stomach affects every inch of your body along with your mental health.
Taking high-calorie junk food can please your taste buds but can also make you feel very sluggish. Eating those sugary delights will satiate your sweet tooth but also put those unsightly bulges on your waist. And, all these things contribute to body pain.
When your body doesn’t get the nutrition it needs, several body systems bear the brunt of it. It all boils down to the fact that your body needs a healthy diet to function properly.
So, take a healthy diet comprising all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and other necessary nutritional elements.
Pay attention to your posture
If you are one of those people who spend seven to eight hours of your day sitting in front of your computer screen, you need to maintain a proper posture. You may not know it, but you may be slouching over your laptop, computer, or mobile phone and subjecting your back to damage and resultant pain.
While working, make sure you sit upright. Replace your office chair with an ergonomic chair to ensure that your back stays straight. If you work from home, invest in an ergonomic workstation.
Also, make it a habit to take breaks in between your long work hours. Stand, move around, do light stretching, and then resume work.
Say goodbye to smoking
The moment you say goodbye to smoking, back pain also takes your leave. Although smoking is commonly associated with cancer, a lesser-known fact is that it also contributes to back pain.
According to some studies, smoking makes back pain even worse. It is still unclear how smoking affects back pain but researchers believe that it could be because smoking narrows the blood vessels resulting in less nutrient and oxygen supply to the spine. It makes the spine vulnerable to injury and pain.
Sleep properly
When you stand, sit, walk, stretch, or lift, your back bears all the pressure, and so, it needs sufficient rest during the night.
Hence, replace your old mattress with a finer one that could offer optimum support to your spine. Also, buy a good quality pillow.
If you sleep on your back, ensure knee support. If you sleep on your side, use a pillow between both knees.
Say no to stress
Apart from contributing to those wrinkles and fine lines, stress also adds up to your back pain. Stress can tense your muscles affecting your back health.
Indulge in activities that help in relieving stress, such as meditation, yoga, biofeedback, guided imagery, etc.
Do not lift heavy objects
Lifting heavy objects is a sure-fire way of inviting back pain. It puts a strain on your back muscles, inflicting pain.
Exercise caution when lifting heavyweight, and more so, if you are not young.
While working out at the gym, make sure you lift weights under the strict eye of your fitness trainer. If you feel the slightest discomfort while lifting weights, do not continue the exercise. Learn proper techniques that are safe for your age and strength.
Do not wear high heels
High heels interfere with your center of gravity and subject your back to excessive straining. A one-inch heel is ideal.
If you can’t do without high heels, carry an extra pair of flats with you. Change to flats whenever you feel uncomfortable. Do not stay in high heels for a longer duration.
Take back pain seriously
If you are already suffering from back pain, do not ignore it at any cost. Before your back pain graduates to the chronic category, seek back pain treatment. And, by treatment, we certainly don’t mean popping pain-killers. Click here to learn more about it.
Consult a pain management doctor who could plan proper treatment for you. The pain management clinics today provide comprehensive treatment to people suffering from various aches and pains. They provide functional, performance, and recovery care. The expert doctors also devise an exercise routine for their patients.
Moreover, the biggest benefit of consulting a pain doctor is that if you have chronic back pain, they dig out the real cause and work on eliminating it rather than giving you treatment for symptomatic relief.
The bottom line
Back pain is a common health issue. But, if ignored for a long time, it can translate into a serious problem. So, whether or not you already have back pain, adopt these proactive measures to keep it at bay or to prevent it from aggravating.
