Daily Habits That Can Help Lessen the Risk of Back Pain

The majority of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Although there are many causes, some daily habits can help you lessen the risk of developing back pain.

Taking steps to improve core strength, posture, daily sitting and flexibility will help keep you pain-free. Improving your quality of sleep reduces undue stress on the spine and allows your muscles to fully rest, promoting a healthier body overall.

The following are some easy ways that you can support the health of your back.

Develop a Core Foundation

Popular exercise routines often emphasize aesthetics over function. They prioritize working the larger muscle groups at the expense of strengthening the deeper postural muscles.

This leads to an imbalance as these core muscles become weaker over time. By strengthening the muscles of the abdominals, back, hips, and shoulders, you develop the core strength that supports all other movements.

Perform core exercises daily to maintain a healthy back. Your Chiropractor can prescribe the right exercises for your needs. In fact at our Centre we have three levels of basic core exercises to help provide increase range of movement, balancing and strengthening your core.

Practice Good Posture

Poor posture causes muscle imbalances that can contribute to painful trigger points and other issues. It also creates more stress on the joints and connective tissues.

Learning how to sit and stand with good posture is essential to maintaining a pain-free back. While working, you should use proper ergonomics to prevent common issues related to overuse and strain of muscles.

Set notifications throughout the day with an alarm or calendar to remind you to check your posture.

Sitting Daily

By now you are aware of the negative health effects of sitting. Please limit your sitting and take breaks every 40 minutes to stand up, walk and stretch.

Develop a Stretching Routine

When performing sports or exercises, many people overlook the importance of flexibility. Having sufficient range of motion in the joints allows for efficient movement and prevents muscle strains.

Repetitive movement patterns, injuries, and poor posture can lead to tight muscles. This causes other muscles to become stretched and weak.

Stretching the tight muscles while strengthening the weak ones restores musculoskeletal balance and decreases the risk of back pain.

Determine which muscles need to be stretched and consult with your Chiropractor to develop an effective core program which involves a stretching routine.

Create an Ideal Sleep Environment

Back problems often result from poor sleep habits. In many cases, mattresses that fail to provide adequate support can lead to increased pain. The rule of thumb is to change your mattress every 6-7 years.

Your body's structure will determine the type of mattress that's best for you. You should consider replacing an old mattress, as it can lose its integrity over time. Check to make sure that it's in good condition by looking for any damage or wear.

Sleeping face down can create stress on the neck, low back and lead to back problems. Using a pillow underneath the knees when sleeping face up will reduce the stress on the spine and is especially helpful for people who experience chronic back pain.

Using these daily habits will help you decrease your risk for back pain. Maintaining core strength and flexibility helps keep your body in balance and prevents future pain problems.