Ways To Prevent Lower Back Problems

The following ways to prevent lower back problems will help to keep an individual engaged in daily activities without risking any injury to the back or neck. Changing the body position frequently and taking breaks during activities is important to prevent putting strain on the spine. Proper body mechanisms prevent the risk of injury where exercises for strengthening the abdominal muscles are performed correctly. Proper alignment of the spine is important so that the spine has its natural curve and are not flat, which compresses the nerves. Wearing proper shoes will help in maintaining proper posture. Managing our own stress through exercise and other ways can prevent lumbar injury. Ultimately, having an overall good health through proper diet and weight loss exercises can be of immense help in preventing lumbar injury. This article looks at preventing lower spinal soreness.

What’s the Best Exercise to Prevent Lower Back Pain? Chad Madden, Physical Therapist, answers this and demonstrates.

Ways To Prevent Lower Back Problems

Learn how to lift objects safely to protect your back

There are many factors that play a role in back pain, many different ways it manifests and many different ways that it can be addressed. We can’t discuss this all in one article. However, in my experience, I feel that the majority of cases have to do with how we use our bodies and can be prevented

Here are some tips that can help prevent back pain:

• Frequent position changing: prolonged sitting or forward flexion puts the most load on the low back and can contribute to disc problems. Prolonged standing or repetitive movements in any one direction can also place unfavourable strain on the spine. Frequent mini-breaks or position changes may seem ‘time consuming’ and unproductive at the time, but it can save you from debilitating pain in the long run.

• Use correct body mechanics: Most people seem to understand they need to “use the legs when lifting or bending, strengthen the back and abdominal muscles, and exercise”. Unfortunately, most back pain patients I see are commonly performing exercises unsafely or incorrectly, or not at all. I rarely witness optimal posture or correct use of body mechanics with activities such as getting in/out of bed, bending forward to tie your shoes, reaching, lifting and carrying. These are just a few of the activities we do daily that can eventually cause back pain if not performed correctly. It is simple to learn, but accurate instruction and even demonstration from your physiotherapist can be helpful.

• Optimizing postural alignment: positioning your spine so that it maintains its 3 natural curves is key to a healthy back. When these healthy curves become too flattened or too arched, it can compress the vertebrae and the discs in between, causing pain or irritation of the nerves coming out of the spine. Whether you’re sitting, walking, lifting, exercising or sleeping, your spine should primarily be in its optimal position.

• Proper footwear: improper shoes can affect your postural alignment and can cause certain lower extremity muscles to become shortened which can contribute to back pain. Orthotic inserts may be beneficial for some people.

• Manage your stress: many scientific studies have shown that stress is a major factor in back pain. Find effective ways to manage your stress. There are numerous approaches that are not within the scope of this article. Finding time to mindfully unwind and participate in a regular exercise regime (performed correctly) has been shown to assist in stress reduction.

• Overall physical health: maintain a healthy diet and body weight. Perform regular stretches, strengthening, and spinal stability/mobility exercises in a safe and effective manner. Many people with low back pain have poor core stability (or rarely know what true core stability means) and tight lower extremity muscles that both play a role in back pain. Numerous studies have shown that both pilates and yoga (performed safely and correctly) can help reduce low back pain.

read more

Ways to prevent lower back problems include keeping proper body posture through frequent changing of body position while in different activities, using the correct posture while carrying out different movements of the body, maintaining proper alignment of the spine, wearing the right footwear, and finding ways to relieve stress of the body and mind. Maintaining proper posture during minor activities like bending down to pick up anything, tying shoelaces, or even getting out of bed is important because the slightest misalignment may result in spinal injury. Exercises on strengthening the core muscles are most important to prevent any back injury and debilitating pain. Yoga and Pilates are also recommended to prevent back pain, so get your Lycra on and get exercising.

A few tips from Vie Fitness to keep your back healthy and pain free! By VieFitness.ca