Back pain is more than just an annoying occurrence. It is something that can disrupt your overall quality of life, making it more difficult to focus at work or school and to perform the physical functions your body needs to execute every day. Oftentimes, it is hard to understand what might be causing back pain. You might not notice how much you are slouching or how much time you spend sitting at your desk during the day, but these things can cause your back health to suffer.
Pain throughout the spinal column is actually the worldwide leading cause of disability. Every year, about half of all working Americans report experiencing back pain symptoms, and somewhere around 80% of the population will experience these symptoms at some point during their lives. Back pain is one of the most expensive conditions to treat, with Americans spending upward of $50 billion each year to combat their symptoms.
So, how can you treat and even prevent back pain without spending a ton of money? Let’s take a look at six easy and cost-effective ways that you can promote better back health.
1. Take Short Breaks
The average American spends 12 hours per day in a sedentary position. This fact is startling, considering that this takes up most of a person’s waking hours every day. As researchers have discovered, leading a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to numerous illnesses, including metabolic syndrome, which is also commonly referred to as the “sitting disease”. Symptoms of this condition include signs of diabetes and an expansion of the waist. Not surprisingly, back pain is also frequently reported.
One of the best (and easiest) ways to prevent the effects of a sedentary lifestyle from claiming your health is to take short breaks. Every half an hour, get up and move around. If you are at work, stand up from your desk and attend to some tasks that require walking and standing. If you work from home, take a break from your job at the computer and do some household chores or go for a walk outside. Not only does this allow your body time to flex its muscles and burn energy and fat, but mentally, it can feel like a nice, rejuvenating reprieve.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]2. 30 Minutes Of Activity
Staying physically active is crucial in promoting better back health. Sadly enough, physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, and about 3.2 million annual deaths can be attributed to a lack of physical activity. A lot of people find it easy to get wrapped up in work and other tasks that require them to sit down, but it is important to get active.
Doctors recommend getting a minimum of 30 minutes of activity each day (which amounts to 150 minutes per week). This type of aerobic exercise should be moderately intense and can include swimming, bicycling, walking, or jogging. Even doing moderately intense yoga for 30 minutes each day can greatly improve your back health, overall physical health, and even your mental health.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]3. Resist Slouching
Most people slouch when they sit. As acupuncturist Esther Gokhale found by studying indigenous tribes, their tendency toward straighter postures results in J-shaped spinal curves. These people (even their elders) report very few symptom of back pain.
The spines of those who lead sedentary lifestyles tend to take on an S-shaped curve, which could explain the numerous issues we have with back health. One of the biggest problems that contributes to this shape is poor posture. It is important to resist slouching, but how can we do that when we’re sitting so frequently?
When you slouch, you hunch your shoulders up toward your ears and allow your head to come forward. Be mindful of keeping your shoulders down and squared, and try tucking your chin back a little. When standing, you can ground down through the balls of your feet, maintain shoulder-distance between your feet, and keep your shoulders pulled back and arms relaxed at your sides.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]4. Lift With Care
Lifting any type of weight inappropriately can lead to serious spinal and cervical damage. When you lift with your back, you run the risk of pulling muscles or herniating the discs in your spinal column. Unfortunately, you likely won’t know if you’re lifting incorrectly until you have accidentally sustained a back injury.
When you lift, life with care. You need to keep your knees bent and flex with your glutes and erector spinae (a bundle of muscles and tendons that run along your vertebrae). Inhale a deep breath through your nose, press off through the soles of your feet, and flex your abdominal muscles to help your body extend. If you exhale while squatting then press off, you are cutting off your oxygen supply and will strain more to lift.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]5. Practice Makes Perfect
You know the old adage, “Practice makes perfect”? When working to promote better back health, it’s incredibly true. Your back will not magically feel all better overnight once you start getting more exercise. The healing process takes time and, of course, practice.
Make it a daily priority to check in with your body and see how it is doing. Chances are that you have been disconnected from your body’s functions because you are so busy with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. However, it only take a few minutes of dedication each day to check in with yourself.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]6. Alignment
If you cannot find a way to relieve back pain on your own, consider your spine’s alignment. When it is out of alignment, back pain can be excruciating. The spine is what protects your central nervous system, so it is important that you keep your spine in alignment. A chiropractor can help you adjust your spine so that it is correctly realigned. Trying to realign it yourself can be dangerous and even make problems worse. Allowing a professional to help with your alignment could be beneficial for your back health.
