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Chronic Back Pain — 3 Tips to Protect Your Lower Back - Texas-Star Rehab Services
Up to 49% of the adult population in the US is prone to lower back pain. As one of the most common health complaints worldwide, it can escalate into health complications if left unchecked and untreated. In fact, lower back pain is a major contributor to disability.
How can you prevent chronic back pain? Here are a few ideas.
Take Care When Lifting Heavy Objects
Irrespective of how strong you are, always make sure your posture is in the right position when lifting heavy objects. Even individuals with immense strength or high muscle mass are susceptible to back injuries caused by lifting heavy items through incorrect body movements. This doesn’t just apply to older individuals, but also younger adults and adolescents.
When lifting heavy items, try to keep your chest forward instead of letting it sink inward. It’s also imperative that you channel your strength through your hips and not the shoulders while you lift the object. Avoid lifting things alone that are way above your body weight to prevent back strain and injuries.
Work On Strengthening Your Core Muscles
If you have strong core muscles, you’re at a lower risk of sustaining back injuries. These core muscles support your lower back, thus the stronger they are, the less at-risk your back is of strains, sprains, or other musculoskeletal damage.
There are a number of things you can do to strengthen your core muscles. For instance, you can engage in various low-impact cardiovascular exercises that boost your muscle strength while simultaneously improving your circulation. This further helps the muscles in your lower back get a steady supply of nutrients, which then enhances their strength and performance as well.
If you don’t want to do cardiovascular exercises, then less rigorous activities such as going for a short walk can also help you strengthen your core muscles.
Don’t Remain Seated For Too Long
If you spend most of your day sitting at your desk or in front of a computer screen, you’re not doing your back any favors. While it can get impossible to avoid sitting down in the same position for too long, especially if you’re at your workplace, you need to take short breaks in between this time to relax your gluteal muscles.
If you notice that you haven’t gotten up from your chair in over an hour or simply moved from one chair to another during the day, it’s time to take a break. In fact, try to do this every 30 minutes by either taking a quick walk around your area or standing up to stretch your back. This will activate your core, pelvic and gluteal muscles all at once, helping prevent back pain and injuries.
Texas-Star Rehab Services is a physical therapy and rehabilitation clinic in Houston. We use the latest and most innovative treatment methods to help patients overcome chronic back pain and prevent musculoskeletal injuries.
