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Managing Back Pain and Prevention 1. Walk if off -- Walking is the way to prevent back problems. It strengthens and warms the erector muscles, the large muscle groups that hold your back in its proper position. To achieve the greatest effect, use good form holding your back straight and not leaning or hunching forward. Try to imagine your spine and neck are rigid or being pulled upward by a balloon, so that you are firmly placing weight on the heels of your feet. 2. Seek out support at work -- Sitting posture is extremely important, especially if its in a position you'll be holding for hours at a time, five days a week. Find a quality chair that can be adjusted to meet your needs. Position the seat so that your knees are just slightly lower than your hips and your feet are flat on the floor. The back support should just touch the small of your back. 3. Sleep better -- On average, we spend roughly a third of our lives in bed. Choosing a mattress then should be approached as a major purchase. A quality mattress should be firm with good support. Whether you sleep on your back or your side, the key is to keep your spine and neck aligned; for this reason never sleep on your stomach. Use a medium-sized pillow that promotes this alignment. If you tend to roll over in your sleep, invest in an extra pillow to tuck between your legs to deter your rolling over on your stomach while you sleep. 4. Lift smarter -- When you lift a heavy object from the floor, you put yourself at risk for back injury. Get close to the item, planting your feet shoulder width apart. Squat down, bending your knees, keeping your back and neck straight. Wrap your arms around the object, hugging it to your body if possible, tighten your abs, and lift with your legs, keeping your back and neck straight. 5. Stretch those muscles -- Do this stretch every 4 to 6 hours during the day. Stand up and lean forward with your hands on your thighs and your legs straight. Arch your back until you feel a gentle pull on the muscles down your back. Hold for 30 seconds, then stand up straight. Reach straight up with your right arm and lean to the left until you feel the muscles stretch along your right hip and waist. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side, raising your left arm and leaning right. 6. Strengthen your abs -- Your abdominals are also erector muscles, working synergistically with your back muscles. Strong abs take some of the strain off your back and spine. Crunches are the ab exercise of choice. Work 10 minutes of crunches, using good form, into your daily routine. 7. Give yourself a pat on the back -- With your palms or the backs of your hands, rub your lower back until you feel the area warming. Friction warms the area and increases circulation. 8. Do this yoga pose -- The cobra pose helps strengthen your spine and back, do it 2 or 3 times a day. Lie on your stomach. Bend your elbows and place your hands underneath your shoulders. Keep your legs hip-distance apart. Tighten your buttocks. As you inhale, straighten your arms to raise your chest up, and look forward while keeping your lower body on the floor. Hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds, then release and lower your chest back to the floor. 9. Drop the extra pounds -- Extra pounds translates to extra strain and fatigue on your spine and back muscles. If your back muscles are already fatigued they're more likely to give out when you recruit them to do a little extra, like lifting something heavy. 10. Adopt back friendly habits -- Consider how many daily contortions you put your neck and spine through. For example, when you talk on the phone, especially at work, you often cradle the phone between your neck and shoulder to free up your hands. Consider getting a hands free headset. A wireless headset would be even better allowing you to practice the stretching exercises listed here. Recomended reading: 7
Steps to a Pain-Free Life: How to Rapidly Relieve Back and Neck Pain |
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What causes chronic, debilitating back pain, one of the most common--and
expensive to treat--ailments in the world? According to Robin McKenzie,
a New Zealand physiotherapist for over 40 years and author of the
wildly popular self-help manuals Treat Your Own Back and Treat Your
Own Neck, distortion of the spinal disks--either from bad posture
or injury--is the cause of the pain. The magic cure is the McKenzie
Method--seven very specific exercises that allow the spine to return
to its natural position. But forget the doctors--McKenzie asserts
that the management of your back pain is your responsibility. Practice
his seven unique exercises (the book includes seven each for the back
and neck) consistently and at regular intervals and just about anyone
can cure his or her own back or neck pain without the help of professionals.
McKenzie believes self-treatment is actually more successful than
medical interventions like surgery, chiropractic, or physical therapy,
and indeed, recent research does show self-treatment to be a highly
effective method. More richly detailed and in-depth than his previous
books, this volume is illustrated with over 100 photos and liberally
peppered with real-life case histories. Starting with an analysis
of how the back and neck work, it moves on to a discussion of the
common causes of pain--bad posture is most often to blame. At the
core is a detailed explanation of how to do the McKenzie Method exercises,
when to apply them, and how to adjust your personal program over time.
Included are instructions for people who suffer with acute back and
neck pain (with appropriate cautions regarding when to call a medical
professional) as well as for people in special situations like pregnant
women, athletes, and seniors. An impassioned introduction by coauthor
Craig Kubey, a satisfied convert after suffering intense back and
neck pain as a result of several auto accidents, could very well make
a believer out of anyone. 