Top Tips to Prevent Back Pain

Common activities we do every day can cause back pain. These activities can be as simple as picking up an object from the floor, sitting at a computer in the same position for hours, bending over incorrectly, or carrying heavy items. By following these six tips, you can prevent unwanted pain throughout your spine:

1. Exercise

One of the most important things you can do to help prevent back pain is exercise. This will not only make your back muscles stronger to prevent injuries, but it will improve your overall health. When preventing back pain, the most important muscle to strengthen is your core because it helps keep your spine secure.

2. Eat healthy

Maintaining a healthy diet will help you lose weight and remove excess stress from your spine. It avoids the compression and loading of the intervertebral disks, prevents bad posture, and prevents a sedentary lifestyle.

3. Improve sleeping positions

Sleeping sideways with a pillow under your lower back or in between your knees will relieve some of the stress from your lower back. If you like to sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees. The pillows will give your spine extra support.

4. Maintaining proper posture

Poor posture places pressure on your back and can cause degenerated discs to become more painful. When at work, make sure you get up and walk at least once every hour to avoid staying in the same position for long periods of time.

5. Reduce stress

Stress can cause your muscles to tense up and can create a stiff feeling. This kind of constant tension is known to provoke back pain. Some individuals reduce stress through meditation, exercise, stretching, or yoga.

6. Quit smoking

Research shows that smoking increases your risk for heart disease and cancer, but many people do not know that it can also affect your spine. Smoking narrows blood vessels and can result in less oxygen and nutrients reaching the spine. This makes the spine susceptible to injury, resulting in decreased healing times.

Once you take these tips and apply them to your lifestyle, back pain will be much less prevalent. If the pain is severe even after these remedies, do not wait to contact a specialist. To learn more about different types of back pain and treatment options, call our Spine Solutions team at (954) 329-1769.