Nine Effective Ways To Prevent Back Pain
By Catherine M, Staff Editor
Last Updated on March 6th, 2023 / Published on February 20, 2018
Nine effective ways to prevent back pain
Back pain is a common condition which most people face at some point in their lives. If you are suffering from back pain, you are certainly not alone. However, to avoid back pain, one can take preventive measures such as:
- Exercise
To get up and keep moving is one of the best ways to prevent back pain. Exercise helps to prevent back pain as muscles are meant to move and if you are in bad shape, you are more likely to hurt your back and feel pain even while doing some simple day-to-day activities. Also, exercise helps to keep your joints fluid. Also, exercise is a great way to prevent a backache because exercise helps to keep your weight in check. If you are overweight especially around your stomach area, you add strain on your back and this, in turn, results in a backache. - Maintain a proper posture
Your posture when you sit, stand, walk or do any activity is crucial. Slouching can cause backache. When you maintain a proper and balanced posture, your back is less likely to suffer from pain. In several cases, back pain is caused because of improper posture. Hence, watch your posture to avoid backache and any other similar conditions. - Sleep sideways
Avoid sleeping flat on your back, rather the best position to sleep is on your side. It helps as it avoids pressure on your back. However, if you sleep on your stomach and want to avoid stressing your back, place a pillow under your lower abdomen. Also, having a comfortable and supporting mattress along with a pillow on your head is vital as well. Also, not only to maintain your back health but your overall health, get enough sleep and rest well. - Eat right
Good eating habits not only help you maintain a healthy weight but also help you to avoid unnecessary stress on your body. An ongoing diet of excess junk food or spicy food can strain your nervous system and hence, further cause back problems. Adversely, a healthy diet that is full of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain, lean meats, and dairy products will help to keep your digestive system on track. When your intestines are working properly, it becomes easier to maintain your spine. Most people who complain about lower back pain tend to have an irritated bowel system as well. - Quit smoking
Smoking is known to raise your risks for cancer like lung cancer, colon cancer, etc., and cardiovascular diseases as well. However, most people don’t realize that smoking can also be the reason for constant back pain. Many pieces of research prove that smoking can worsen existing back pain. One of the possible reasons why smoking affects back is that it narrows the blood vessels. When the blood vessels are narrow, less oxygen and nutrients reach the spine. Hence, it makes the back more prone to injury and slower the healing process of back pain. - Reduce stress
You can never imagine the ill-effects stress has on your body and how badly it impacts your health. When you in stress, your muscles tend to tense, and constant stress causes pain in these muscles including the ones in your back. Prefer doing activities that reduce your stress and this, in turn, will reduce your back pain as well. Some of the stress-reducing activities include meditation, yoga, tai chi, deep breathing, and guided imagery. - Stand more often
When you sit, there is forty percent more pressure on your spine compared to when you stand. So, the more time you spend standing on your feet, the lesser are the chances to endure back pain. If you have loads of desk work and can’t afford to get up frequently sitting in the lounge chair position might help. You can do that by simply sitting back at a 135-degree angle. This helps to reduce the compression of the discs of your spine and hence, not cause pain. - Be careful while lifting heavy objects
Most of the time, back pain is caused by lifting heavy objects or weights that may result in hurting your back. When you lift heavy objects, ensure that you don’t bend at the waist. When you pick up any object that is heavy, squat with your legs and keep your back straight. Let your legs do the lifting and not your back. - Maintain a healthy weight
The above ways to prevent back pain include exercising and having a healthy and balanced diet because weight does directly affect the back. When you have excess weight, there is more strain on your back. The pressure that is caused because of the extra weight tends to cause a backache. Hence, it is essential to maintain a healthy weight.