The muscles of your back are one of the most important groups of muscles in the body as they are instrumental in maintaining the posture and general girth and also support the spinal bones. It is a group of muscle that works in coordination with one another when we are sitting, standing for too long or even sleeping. Since it is engaged optimally almost throughout the day, the chances of it being compromised or developing pain are also more. Do you have back pain? Well, you are no exception. Every 3 out of 5 people suffer some issue with their back sometime or the other during their life.
The reasons of this back pain might be many like due to some injury or accident, any undue pressure on the spinal bones or any awkward situation like picking up a heavy thing from the ground using the wrong method. Sometimes it is caused to some systemic conditions like osteoporosis which is especially common in women and the bones lose their strength or rheumatoid arthritis, where the joint between the bones are majorly affected with the synovial fluid quantity getting diminished. In this article, few of the methods of averting back pain due to local causes has been discussed in details.
Gentle exercise
Like mentioned earlier, too much immobility for your back muscles might cause spasms or pain. What is the best method to avoid this? Keep the muscle in motion. If you have a job that requires you to sit in front of a computer for long durations, make sure that you do some gentle exercise for your neck and back at every half hour to an hour interval.
These exercises can be done at your place itself and should be easy to perform so that it doesn’t cause any inconvenience to anyone. This will not only keep the muscles in motion but also send more blood to the brain which will help you function better. It is also a good idea to dedicate a particular time of the day towards exercising the back. Once you form this habit, you will notice the reduction in pain over the due course of time.
Work your core
The muscles of your core are responsible for keeping your posture correct, to help you stand for long durations and even let you sit for hours to come. If you are in a profession like dentistry, your lower part of the body is almost always planted to the ground constantly while most movements happen from the waist.
Having a strong core will help you in working for long hours. Therefore, engage the core back and abs muscles during your exercise routine and engage them enough to be strong enough to support your body and spinal bones.
Maintain proper posture
The significance of good posture for having a longer professional life cannot be emphasized enough. People may have a faulty posture from a very young age, which they carry into adulthood and sooner, rather than later, and they develop immense back pain. It can be due to the way you carry your bag, like on one shoulder, or the way you walk, becoming lopsided.
There have been many discussions about the ideal way to stand, and it has been decided that standing with your head forward and stomach pulled in is beneficial. In case the ordeal is for longer hours, you could use a tool to plant one of your foot and keep alternating every 10 to 15 minutes. As long as sitting is concerned, the proper posture is to either sit straight or with a slight backward inclination. Bending or slouching forward is a big no-no.
Try Pilates or a physical therapist.
Pilates is an ideal way to get rid of your back problems. It is a method of holding a pose for a brief period, strengthening the muscles consequently. You could either join classes or take help of a physical therapist to solve any issues. You can also use an inversion table in your house to work your back better.
Sleep sideways
The way you sleep also becomes equally important. It is always better to sleep on your side with your knees tucked in towards the chest area if you are having back pain. If you sleep on your back, make sure you provide some support in the form of pillows underneath your knees and lower abdomen to keep them in an elevated position. Avoid sleeping in your stomach to avoid the back pain due to sleep postures.
Increase your calcium and vitamin D intake
Calcium and vitamin D are significant part if your bone and contributes towards its strength and structure as well as its integrity. Increasing the levels of calcium and vitamin D in your diet leads to a consequent increase in the strength of the spinal bones which prevents pain from arising due to any bone defect.
The above mentioned six tips will be beneficial in both avoiding and fighting against back pain and if followed judiciously will reduce the chances of getting it, significantly.
