6 Simple Tips to Prevent Lower Back Pain Injury
It’s important to work on ways to manage back pain and it really does require a lifetime commitment to being physically active, staying healthy, and having good posture in all your daily activities. It’s a small trade-off when you compare it to suffering with recurring pain. So as we get older, we gain weight, we don’t take care of ourselves, we don’t do core strengthening, we don’t do flexibility, really don’t take care of our back. And you come in at middle age and you maybe have more weight carrying around than you should, you have not been taking care of your back, and may not be eating the way you should. There are a lot of lifestyle changes that actually go into helping someone with chronic back pain.
If things are done in the beginning correctly and if you get the right direction and the right instruction, you can prevent chronic back pain. You can start to change your lifestyle, do things, and get treatment, so you don’t get into a chronic back pain situation.
Why Is Your Lower Back Prone To Injury?
Your lower back or lumbar spine region has five motion segments, these segments enable most of your twisting and bending movements. Regardless, the 2 lowest segments, named the L4-L5 and the L5-S1, handle the bulk of the stress from these types of activities, as an effect, these two segments are the most likely to suffer injury from wear and tear or sudden movements.
What Are The Tips To Prevent Back Pain?
Strengthen your core muscles — Strong core muscles provide support for your lower back, and they play a significant role in preventing injuries. But that doesn’t mean you have to be Schwarzenegger. Low-impact cardiovascular exercises such as using an elliptical machine can strengthen your core muscles and at the same time increases the flow of blood to your spine. In turn, this supplies healing nutrients to the structures in your lower back, so start with small goals to slowly get yourself moving. For example, take a five-minute walk with a friend or complete a single lap in the park.
Improve sitting posture — Purchasing an ergonomic chair for your office workstation can you help support the natural curvature of your spine, and you can also slightly elevate your feet with a stand to reduce the stress on your lower back. Another great idea to protect your lower back is to use a standing desk for part of the day, since sitting places three times as much stress on your spinal discs as standing.
Make physical activity habits — Exercise or regular physical activities are very beneficial things to strengthen your back and prevent injury in the future, good exercises that help strengthen your back will have a lot to do with core and proper function through your lower back.
Be careful while lifting heavy objects — Be careful how you lift heavy objects, regardless of your age or strength level, you can easily injure your lower back if you lift heavy objects in an improper way. Hold your chest onward, guide with your hips, not your shoulders, and hold your weight close to your body.
Manage your weight — If you were on the heavier side, losing weight can greatly reduce stress on the back. Monitor your weight, it is common knowledge that carrying extra weight places stress and strain on your lower back. If you are overweight, work with your doctor to develop a comprehensive plan to get your weight under control. Remember to avoid a fad diet, and instead focus on eating the right amount of healthy foods and exercising daily.
Take care of yourself while traveling — Spending a lot of time in a plane or car can’t take a toll on your low back. Pack light, use a lumbar support pillow, get out of your seat, and Move around every 30 minutes. And stretch your legs and hips before and during your travel. You may not be able to incorporate all six of the above tips into your daily life at once, so start with one or two and slowly work towards an active lifestyle for the safety of your lower back. And as always, stay healthy!
Bonus Tip:
- Drink enough water
- Cut off the alcohol
- Stop smoking
- Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet
- Stay active
- Manage your stress
- Pay attention to your posture
- Lighten your wallet
- Don’t skip your meals
- Get enough sleep
If you are having back pain with any of the following serious symptoms please consult your doctor immediately, our Walk-In Clinic Dallas doors are always open for you.
