Lower back pain is one of the common causes of missed workdays. That’s because your back supports the body’s weight, which is often subject to strain and stress. If the pain gets worse, you’ll need an acute back pain treatment. Lower back pain can be caused by the wear and tear brought by aging, physical activities, arthritis, or by a sudden injury. Fortunately, regardless of the cause of your back pain, there are ways you can manage it. This article highlights some tips you can use to deal with lower back pain.
- Maintain The Right Posture When Sitting And Performing Activities
Performing physical activities with the correct posture can help to protect your back from injury. You should do this, especially if you’re engaged in activities that require repetitive motions or play sports. The correct posture is one that keeps the spine erect. Therefore, all your actions should be done with little or zero slouching. When you’re lifting weights, it’s advisable to bend and straighten from the knees and not your waist. Additionally, when you’re twisting from one side to another, move your hips.
If you have an office job, you also need to maintain a correct posture. You can avoid back pain by planting your feet on the floor and using lower-back support chairs. Furthermore, it would be best if you also desisted from hunching forward to view your computer screen and reaching far to use the keyboard or mouse.
- Use Heat Or Ice If You Experience A Back Injury
Sometimes, getting a back injury is unavoidable. If you experience it, it’s advisable to apply ice between the first 24-72 hours to reduce the swelling and minimize pain. After that, you can resort to using heat to relax the tight muscles. Heat can also help you when you have chronic back pain that hasn’t been brought by injury. When using ice and heat, don’t use it for more than 20 minutes to prevent your spine from getting damaged.
- Stretch Your Muscles
Stretching is an essential way of relieving chronic back pain and preventing future back problems. Back muscles extend in various directions. Therefore, it’s vital to do a variety of stretches to capture all of them. Some primary back stretches that you can do include:
* Lying on your back with outstretched arms, bending one knee, and twisting from side to side.
* Lying on your back and pulling your thighs to your chest.
* Lying on your stomach with arms stretched over your head and lifting your chest from the floor.
- Wear The Right Shoes
Good shoes should support and improve your overall posture and reduce your risk of suffering from back pain. Scientists recommend wearing shoes, depending on the activity you’re performing. Use sneakers when exercising or running and boots for construction work. Avoid wearing unsupportive shoes such as high heels and flip flops as much as you can because if you wear them for long, they’ll increase the pressure around your spine.
Bottom Line
Engaging in the right activities can help you deal with your lower back pain and prevent it from becoming chronic. Maintaining the proper posture using heat or ice, stretching your muscles, and wearing the correct shoes are some of the activities you can do to reduce the risk of lower back pain.
