Wellness Tips
Tips
you can do for back pain prevention:
1. Maintain Proper Posture
Good Posture is essential for good health.
Good Posture needs to be maintained whether, standing, sitting,
or sleeping.
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Standing- Bear your weight on the
balls of your feet with knees slightly bent. Your feet should be about
shoulder width apart and your arms should hang naturally
down your sides. Stand straight with your shoulders pulled
back and tuck your stomach in. Keep your head level,
not forward, backward, or to the side- your earlobes
should be in line with your shoulders. If you
have to stand for long periods of time try shifting
your weight from your toes to your heels, or one foot
to the other. Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes when
standing or walking.
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Sitting- Keep your feet on the floor
or a footrest if they don’t reach the floor. Don’t cross
your legs, your ankles should be in front of your knees.
Maintain a small gap between the front of your seat and
the back of you knees and your knees should be at or
below hip level. Relax your shoulders and when possible
keep your forearms parallel to the ground. Make
sure to adjust the backrest of your chair to support
your back. Shift positions if you have to sit
for long periods of time.
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Sleeping- Find the right mattress for you, though a
firm mattress is recommended sometimes a softer mattress
may reduce your back pain. Sleep with a pillow, therapeutic
pillows are available for people who have poor sleeping
posture. Sleep on your back with a pillow under your
knees or on your side with a pillow between your knees,
never on your stomach.
2. Maintain a Healthy
Diet and Weight
A healthy diet is important to your overall health. Not
only is it important to get the proper nutrients to maintain
an effective immune system to ensure a healthy body it
is also important to maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight
puts an additional strain on your back leading to more
avoidable pain. Abdominal Fat or “Beer Belly” is
a leading offender, putting pressure on the muscles, ligaments,
and tendons causing lower back pain because you center
of gravity shifts forward. Obesity is a leading cause of
lower back pain. Eat sensibly and try to keep within 10
lbs. of your ideal weight. Your ideal weight should always
be considered in terms of your height, overall body size,
shape, and frame. Know your BMI (Body-Mass index), which
measures your weight in proportion to your height and is
one measurement used to determine your overall fitness.
A sensible life style includes getting the proper amount of sleep in
order to obtain optimum energy levels to get through your day without fatigue.
Quit smoking. Smoking restricts the blood flow to the
tissues in and around your spine and to your vertebrae and
disks, which is why smokers have more spinal pain and take
longer to heal than nonsmokers. And smokers tend to lose
bone faster than nonsmokers, putting them at a greater risk
for osteoporosis, another common cause for back pain
3. Exercise
The most important thing you can do to maintain a healthy
back is to stay active and fit. Regular exercise helps
prevent back pain by strengthening your abdominal and back
muscles, and improving your flexibility. Walking, swimming,
or bicycling top the list of low-risk activities for your
back while providing the most benefits. Participating in
any of these activities at least three times a week is
a good strategy for you if you tend to have recurrent episodes
of moderate low back pain. Always remember to warm up or
stretch before any physical activity, such as gardening,
spring cleaning, moving items and of course before exercising.
Consult with your Doctor before beginning any exercise
program, particularly if you have health issues or pain.
Your chiropractor can recommend appropriate exercises and
fitness strategies to minimize your particular pain and
to maintain your individual wellness plan.
4. Proper Lifting
Avoid twisting while lifting at all times to avoid harming
your spine. Use your legs, not your back or upper body,
to lift an item. If it is too heavy to lift, get
someone to help you and if that’s not possible try
pushing it. It helps to hold heavy items as close
to your body as possible. Do not bend over at the waist
to pick up an item, rather bend your knees and lift with
your legs or kneel on one leg with the other foot flat
on the floor as close to the item as possible to pick up
the item. Straining to reach for an item that is to high
may not only hurt your mid-back and neck it can also lead
to shoulder injury so always stand on a stool.
