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Are you having back trouble? Good news. Today, we have a contributed post discussing the 5 best ways to prevent back pain. You will want to pay attention to #3. Read on and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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It’s estimated that 8 out of 10 people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Paralyzing, seemingly random, and difficult to justify to your employer, back pain can be a tremendous burden for people who have to deal with it.
While there is treatment for back pain, prevention is always the best medicine. Here’s one thing to remember. Spinal health is usually a good indicator of your overall health so practicing prevention is also a good way to promote your own personal health and wellness. Here’s five ways you can prevent back pain before it strikes.
Exercise and Stretch
Your back muscles and core to take the stress of your spine. One of the most common causes of back pain is obesity or being overweight. Not only does exercise promote weight loss, it also reduces inflammation and tension in your back.
A majority of lower back pain cases are also caused by sitting for too long. Even with exercise, sitting for too long each day can have long-term health consequences.
Be sure to exercise your core at least twice a week and consider doing some simple cardiovascular exercise, such as jogging or walking 15 minutes to a half hour a day. Generally, most experts recommend you get 150 minutes of exercise a week.
Maintain a Healthy Diet and Lifestyle
Along the same sentiment, maintaining a healthy diet will promote good spinal health. Fatty and spicy food will put significant strain on your digestive system and nervous system. In turn, this adds strain to your lower back. Lean meats, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables will ease your digestive tract and also reduce inflammation in the body.
Smoking has also been linked to chronic back pain; as if you needed another reason to quit. Maintaining a proper diet helps ease stress off of your back and promotes wellness all around you.
Watch How You Lift
Don’t lift your back! Seriously though, it’s one of the easiest tips to remember and you surely won’t regret it when you get older. Lifting with your back can cause significant strain on your lower back and tense up your muscles.
Be sure to lift with your legs, holding any object at a 90 degree angle, close to your body. Maintain a straight posture and always push before you pull when dealing with heavy objects.
Practice Good Posture
You probably figured this was coming, but maintaining a proper posture throughout the day will relieve so much stress from your spine. Sit up straight and stand up straight. Also, be sure to sleep on your side. If you need to sleep on your stomach, be sure to place a pillow below your abdomen to relieve stress off of your back.
See a Doctor
Finally, if you do end up receiving back pain and these measures don’t work, you may have chronic back pain. If back pain persists for more than 2 months then it’s important to see a doctor. He/she may refer you to a specialist for lower back pain treatment or there could be something wrong with you that’s causing chronic back pain.
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