Simple Guide to Looking After Your Back

Back pain is increasingly becoming a common problem. A sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, being overweight, bad working practices and a high level of stress all contribute to back problems. So much so that the majority of us will experience some form of back problems or back pain at some point in our lives. In this article, we will share with you some tips on caring for your back. However, this is by no means a comprehensive guide. Should you have back pain that persists or increases in intensity, go consult your family doctor so that you can be sure it is just a simple back pain and nothing more sinister than that.

So let us start by quashing one of the myths. We spend more time sitting on the chair than standing with the strong belief that standing harms our back more. The reverse is sadly true. Sitting puts more strain on the lower back than standing. To make matters worse, we tend to slump in a chair which will put even more pressure on our back. So can we care for our back while sitting? The first thing to do of course is to shop wisely for that piece of furniture where we rest our buttocks on. Choose a chair which supports the lower back as well as the upper back. So discard those colorful plastic chairs which only support your upper back but has a hollow area instead in the area above your buttocks thus offering totally no lumbar support. Next when sitting, sit right back with your spine straight and the feet resting flat on the floor. You might want to use a small cushion to support the curve of the lower back if necessary. As for sitting in a car in a long trip, it is advisable to use a lower back support and have frequent breaks to stretch and exercise.

Next come lying. It is true backache can often be relieved by lying on the floor (with you facing upwards towards the ceiling wall) with your knees bent. When it comes to sleeping, you should have a firm mattress (not a hard floor though) or at least a mattress on a firm base. What happens to your back when you have a mattress which sinks in the middle? Just imagine your back as a bridge with no pillars supporting underneath and no tension cables holding up from above. Then add on several huge trucks on the middle span of the bridge which can be likened to your belly and your buttock (the two parts of your body with possibly the most amount of fat). Logic will tell you that with the help of gravity plus the weight of the trucks (your huge belly and buttock), the middle span of the bridge (your lower back) will sooner or later buckle under pressure. Other useful tips include using a pillow and avoid lying on your stomach as this strains the neck and lower back.

Next tip is about lifting objects. Like sleeping on a firm mattress, exactly why your back will suffer should you choose not to lift objects the proper way can be explain using the theory of fulcrum according to the law of physics and it is also easily understood by most people. The toughest part is when it comes to applying it to our daily routines. Excuses such as this are often given: ¡°If I work like this, it will take a long time for me to finish my daily chores.¡± Well, the back is yours. You can either choose to finish your chores quickly and then spend the rest of the day suffering in pain or you can do things the slower way and be able to sleep well through the night. So always plan how you want to lift objects especially the heavy ones. Stand close to the object, keep your back straight and bend at the hip and knees. Then take a firm hold of the object and hold it close to your body. Now with you still keeping your back straight, lift up by gradually straightening your knees. If possible, pull or push an object rather than lifting it. Do not be a hero, ask for help or use equipment to lift an object if necessary.

Finally, arrange your work space so that the most frequently used items are within easy reach to avoid a lot of bending and stretching. The rule of the thumb is to always keep your back straight. For example, when sweeping the floor, make sure you do not do the sweeping movements with your back bend. Many people often end up doing this either by buying a broom which is way too short or using one in which the handle has broken into half. If you need to sweep underneath the cupboard, make sure you squat or kneel down to work at a low level instead of bending your back. Simple rules like these will ensure that you are less likely to say out loud or say to yourself: ¡°Ouch, my back really hurts!¡± Exercises which helps strengthen our back are also useful and we will look learn about it maybe in the next article.