9 out of 10 people say that at least once in their life they have experienced back pain, and we believe that there is practically no man or woman who has not had back pain problems at some point in his or her life. Lower back is the most common site of pain, but pain in other parts of the back is not uncommon too.
Because of the sedentary lifestyle and jobs that tie us to a chair, we all have a great chance of developing back pain. But there are ways to avoid this or at least significantly reduce back pain, and we will talk about these ways in the rest of the article.
Have a daily set of short walks
You need to introduce a daily set of short walks into your routine. Many people mistakenly think that when their backs hurt they should rest, but in fact they should walk. Of course, you should not be exposed to heavy physical effort, but walking is beneficial.
Stretch your body slowly
Stretching the whole body is very healthy for the spine, as well as for other joints and muscles. Therefore, you should stretch regularly to prevent back pain. You need to know the difference between passive and active stretching, as well as how to do both types and when you should perform active and when passive stretch.
Buy a mattress topper for your mattress
If your mattress is not comfortable and supportive enough that can be the main trigger of back pain. In that case, you do not have to spend fortune on a new mattress, but a mattress topper will be more than enough. Check out which is the best mattress topper for back pain and buy one of them to wake up pain-free.
Lose some weight
Remember that any excess weight, even if it is only 5 or 10 kilograms, is an additional burden for all your joints, and especially for the spine, which is the pillar of our body. Therefore, as well as because of the health of the cardiovascular system, digestive tract and everything else, lose some weight.
Quit bad habits
There are a lot of bad habits that affect back pain, and smoking is one of them. Many people would not associate smoking and back pain, but different cigarette ingredients weaken the bones as well as the discs in the spine and thus lead to degenerative disc disease or other spine problems. Quit smoking because of your spine and overall well-being.
Use medicated creams and tinctures
There are a number of different medicated creams and tinctures on the market that can help us with back pain. These are not miraculous products that will solve all the problems, but you can significantly alleviate this ailment using medicated creams and tinctures. It is important that you buy products from reputable manufacturers.
Add a towel under your pelvis
Adding a rolled-up towel under your pelvis is one of the easiest ways to reduce tension and pain in the lower back. The towel will relax your hips and stretch muscles like the quadratus lumborum. This way you will improve things temporarily, but you should also strengthen your muscles and stretch your hip flexors regularly for long term solution.
Maintain posture all the time
We know it’s very hard to think of postures when you sit for 8 or more hours every day, but that’s of paramount importance to our spine. In order to be able to maintain posture all the time at all, you need to have strong back muscles, so it is advisable to do regular workouts.
Apply ice and heat
Ice and heat can help with back problems. In case your back is inflamed or you have visible swelling, then you should apply ice to reduce the inflammation and allow the body to start tissue recovery. In case you want relaxation because you feel that your muscles are stiff, then it is time to warm up that place.
Book a professional massage
Professional massage can relax your muscles after a whole day of sitting or standing and this will definitely make your back not hurt. It is only important that you inquire well before choosing a masseur, because if a masseur is not skilled one, he can do more harm than good.
Try nerve stimulation
With the help of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy which is one of the most common forms of electrical stimulation, you can reduce back pain. However, that will help you only at that moment, and after you need to address the underlying condition which is the real cause.
Avoid static posture, especially for longer time
Any static posture, especially for longer time, is not good. Even if you are sitting in an ergonomic chair or standing, and you have high quality footwear, static posture is very bad for your spine.
Swim in a warm pool
Swimming in a warm pool has multiple benefits for your back and whole body. As we have already mentioned, heat is good for relaxation of tight muscles. Also, swimming is one of the healthiest activities because it doesn’t get our joints stressed, like running for example.
