Prevent Back Pain

Unfortunately, experiencing back pain at some point in our lives may be inevitable. That's the bad news...

The good news is that there are many preventative measures that can be taken, some of which involve little effort. Also encouraging is that many people find these methods not only an effective way to prevent back pain, but also useful as back pain treatment. However, they are not meant for everyone. It is important to consult with your doctor about your own situation and follow their advice.

Correct posture to prevent back pain. In many cases, the single most effective step that can be taken to prevent back pain is to improve back posture. Although our sitting and standing posture are very important, many people don't realize how important posture is in ALL of our activities.

How do you stand when doing laundry, or washing dishes? Do you have good posture when you vacuum, rake the lawn, or work in the garden? Or, is your posture poor?

There is also such a thing as proper sleep posture. While in bed, try to keep your head and neck aligned with your body, as you would when standing or sitting. Although you can learn to make this a habit, it may be easier to do with the use of supportive pillows. Additionally, if you often sleep on your side you may want to wedge a pillow between your knees. This can help prevent the upper leg from falling to the mattress, thus putting a strain on your lower back muscles.

Continually being aware of your posture habits may significantly help in back pain prevention. If you find that maintaining good posture is difficult on an ongoing basis, you may want to consider one of the many posture supports aids that are available, such as:

• back posture braces
• shoulder support braces
• posture corrective heel cups
• posture pillow
• posture bra

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Posture Exercises, Sitting Posture

Exercise to prevent back pain. One of the major causes of back pain is weak muscles. A combination of posture exercises, and stretching and strengthening exercises for the back muscles, are fundamental for maintaining good back health. Are you aware that stomach muscles contribute to spinal support, as well? And, it doesn't end there...

Keeping your legs and knees in good shape with exercise is also critical, for two reasons:

1. Strong legs and knees help provide a stable foundation for proper spine alignment.
2. If you recall, the rule is - don't bend at the waist, bend at the knees. Great words of advice but only doable if your leg muscles and knees are strong enough!

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Back Strengthening Exercises, Back Stretching Exercise, Posture Exercises

Maintain healthy weight to prevent back pain. Because the spine is designed to carry and distribute the body's weight, excessive weight places unnatural pressure and stress on the spinal joints, during movement and rest.

The lower back, the lumbar spine, is particularly vulnerable to obesity related back pain, often due to lack of exercise and conditioning of the supporting muscles. So that this isn't happening to you, it's important to keep your body weight proportionate to your bone structure. Watch your diet - no overloading!

Avoiding foot problems to prevent back pain. Our entire body rests on the 52 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles of our feet! If any of those bones, joints ligaments or muscles are causing discomfort, chances are that you have learned to alter your walk to accommodate for a painful foot. By doing so, your spine is no longer aligned in its natural position and over time will probably begin to let you know that it's not happy!

Take care of your feet and make a habit of wearing thick soled, comfortable shoes when on your feet for long periods of time. When tempted to wear your highest of heels, do a mirror check. You may be surprised to see the unnatural position in which high heels place your spine.

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Painful Foot Problem

Relieve stress to prevent back pain. Although more research needs to be done regarding the correlation between back pain and stress, a noted physician, John Sarno, M.D. has popularized the idea of stress related back pain, which he terms "Tension Myositis Syndrome", TMS and he writes about in his book, titled Healing Back Pain.

It has been believed for years that stress can play havoc on many of our body's functions, so why wouldn't it also have an effect on our backs? As we begin to tense, muscles often tighten, clamping down on blood vessels. This in turn diminishes the amount of blood and oxygen being supplied to the muscles, thus sending out pain triggers. Learning to de-stress may be your own secret back pain cure!

Treat your body as a whole to prevent back pain. Left untreated, pain that occurs in one area of the body often travels to another - a bit of a chain reaction. It is not unusual for a stiff neck or a sore shoulder to quickly manifest itself as a back ache. Or, for someone with sore feet or knee arthritis to experience lower back pain. Treating problems early can often help keep their pain isolated.

Pamper your back to prevent back pain. Maybe it's time for a trip to the spa to get that great massage you've wanted for so long. Or, even time for a new, super comfortable mattress! Spoil your back rotten and the payoffs may be well worth it!