Do you have back pain? Even if you don’t, there are tips for back pain relief and prevention. If you want to know how to prevent back pain, here are 10 tips.
Even if you haven’t had back pain before up to this point, odds are you will at some time or another. Whether it comes from stress, an injury, or poor diet, most people eventually find themselves in need of back pain relief.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to both prevent and relieve these common issues.
Are you struggling with back pain? Even if you aren’t currently, here are ten tips on how to prevent back pain whenever it comes around.
1. Stretch
You may not realize how many muscles in your body can affect your back. Stretching your body on a daily basis can help evenly distribute any tension you may be feeling and make it easier to relax.
As you stretch, put an added emphasis on your hamstrings, calves, and glutes. Although these are all parts of your lower body, lightening the load on those muscles can dramatically decrease back pain. Improving your flexibility is a great preventative measure to avoid future back pain and as a means to relieve current pains.
2. Strengthen Your Core
It’s a common belief that your core is simply your ab muscles. This term actually refers to your entire midsection, including your abs, obliques, and lower back. Strengthening these areas of your body can reduce the strain on your lower back muscles.
To improve core strength, try doing exercises like planks, hip lifts, and leg raises. You can pick up the intensity of these moves as you improve to see better results.
3. Exercise
Building muscle and burning fat can have a drastic impact on your back pain. It is one of the most effective ways to both relieve and prevent it. Even more important is to ensure you are doing the correct exercises in a slow, controlled manner.
The key to exercise is finding effective moves you enjoy that provide results. This can include light exercises such as walking or simple cardio to more intense workouts like weightlifting. As long as you are using the proper weight and maintaining control throughout your movements, these can be effective means of preventing back pain.
4. Reduce Stress
Most people carry stress in their neck, shoulders, and back. Stress causes your muscles to tense up, which in turn leaves them tight and uncomfortable. Reducing the stresses of your everyday life can loosen up those muscles and avoid neck and back pain.
Some positive, stress-reducing activities include yoga, meditation, and tai chi. Figure out what works for you and make it a daily routine to minimize your stress levels.
5. Ice & Heat
If you have recently injured your back, a little extra help may be necessary. This relief can come in the form of an ice pack or heating pad. There is some debate over which is more effective to reduce your pain, so some experts have advised to simply use both intermittently.
Begin by using an ice pack for the first 48 hours to prevent swelling, then follow it up with a couple days of heat to relieve pain and relax the muscles. Make sure to always keep a towel or cloth on your skin to prevent painful freezes or burns.
6. Sleep Properly
We’ve all seen the mattress commercials that talk about how big of an impact your bed can have on preventing chronic back pain. While they’re not wrong, you don’t necessarily need an expensive mattress to avoid these issues. It is more important to simply support your back depending on your sleeping position.
If you sleep on your back, then put a pillow under your knees to remove tension from your lower back. Those who sleep on their side should put a pillow between their knees to keep their spine straight. Avoid sleeping on your stomach as this can cause your neck to twist awkwardly, putting unnecessary stress on your upper back.
7. Healthy Diet
Maintaining a healthy diet is essential to avoiding back pain. Eating healthy prevents weight gain, which in turn helps avoid added stress on your body’s joints, limbs, and body. A poor diet consisting of processed meals and fast good negatively affects your central nervous system which can create back problems.
Consuming a healthy diet of lean meats, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables makes you feel better on a daily basis. It offers the added benefits of reducing stress levels and giving you more energy for exercise and stretching.
8. Fix Your Posture
Many of us probably had a parent who told us to sit up straight and put our shoulders back. While it may have gotten annoying, they were absolutely right. Having good posture is one of the first steps as we learn how to prevent back pain.
This proper posture can carry over into your workouts and beyond in preventing strains and discomfort. So, in this case, accept that your parents were right again and put those shoulders back.
9. Relax
Falling in line with reducing stress, you should find multiple opportunities to relax throughout the day. Step away from your desk or go to your room every so often to take a brief break from the daily grind.
Practice heavy breathing techniques and learn to relax both your mind and body. This relaxation will benefit your mental health as well as physical.
10. See a Specialist
If you continue to struggle with chronic back pain, it may be time to see an expert. This may mean something different for everyone. Some may want to see a chiropractor, while others may benefit more from seeing a physical therapist.
These specialists are trained in finding the source of your back problems and can help you discover more ways to treat it properly. You may need to strengthen your core, while someone else may need to improve their flexibility.
Learn How to Prevent Back Pain and More Health Tips
For additional details on how to prevent back pain, be sure to take a look at the health section of our blog. You’ll find more tips to help you with eye care, anti-again methods, and other medical related insights.
