Almost every motion that the human body makes involves the back; from reaching for the top shelf to bending down to tie your shoes, the back muscles and spine play critical roles in movement. It’s no surprise then that millions of Americans will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. According to statistics gathered by Discovery Health, between 60 and 90 percent of all Americans will suffer from at least one back injury in their lifespan.
Parrish Law Firm, PLLC works with those Virginia residents in Manassas and Fairfax, as well as throughout all of Virginia, who have suffered from a back or spinal cord injury in an effort to win them fair compensation so they can focus on recovery. Today, we are here to give you a few tips to help reduce back pain so that you can return to your normal life as soon as possible.
Tips To Help Reduce Back Pain
- Try not to exert force on your back. This may seem overly simplistic, but it’s easy to strain your back if you’re not aware of how you’re using your body. When moving or lifting heavy objects, use your legs and not your back, and remember that pushing is always better than pulling.
- Sleep on your side and not on your back. When sleeping on your back, you are exerting about 55 pounds of pressure on your spine and back muscles. Putting a pillow under your legs will cut that amount in half, and sleeping with a pillow between your legs while on your side also decreases pressure.
- Use stress management techniques to relieve stress. Stress from different areas of your life can lead to tightness, strain and subsequent back pain. Deep breathing, frequent walks and talking out your emotions with someone you trust can help to loosen you up.
- Quit smoking. Smoking decreases blood flow to the discs that support your vertebrae, increasing the chances that you will suffer from back pain.
- Make exercise a part of your life. Preserving a healthy weight, along with regular exercise can work to decrease back pain. Ideally, you should be getting 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of strenuous activity spread out across the week.
- Be aware of your posture while standing and sitting. Slouching your shoulders can lead to back muscle fatigue and possible injury, so make sure you keep your knees bent slightly and one foot in front of the other while standing. When in a sitting position, ensure that your knees are slightly higher than your hips to reduce lower back pressure.
- Avoid repetitive activity. If you must do the same movement over and over again, focus on finding ways to modify the activity to avoid muscle fatigue and reduce the strain on your body.
Often, back pain is not a result of one activity but instead a lifetime of spraining, stretching, pulling or straining. Follow these tips consistently to help avoid sleepless nights with an aching back.
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