Combating and Preventing Back Pain

The most common injury in our society is back pain.

In fact, approximately 60 to 90 percent of all U.S. citizens will experience at least one back injury in their lives. Half of these people will experience multiple episodes of back problems. Many will undergo surgical procedures, and roughly 10 percent will see their condition become chronic. The ultimate cost to society in lost productivity and health-care resources totals in the billions of dollars. An even higher price, however, is paid by the people who have lost the ability to participate in the activities they most enjoy. Back problems can make fishing, golfing, or even just playing with children and grandchildren fraught with pain. In the worst cases, a back problem can interfere with even the ability to get dressed.

How can you live without back pain? Some helpful advices and tips about ergonomy and care for your life. Help your back in bed, you spend about a third of your life sleeping. One of the best ways to protect your back is with a mattress and sleep positions that support it. Pay attention in some details like getting the right mattress, keeping your bed in shape. Do you jump (or roll grumpily) out of bed when the alarm clock rings? Don’t. Instead, take a minute to stretch fully and let your body wake up before getting a move on. This can help prevent injuries.  Do you spend more than an hour a day in your car? You’re not alone. Bad positioning in your vehicle can quickly add up to back pain. Here’s how to make your commute less taxing on your back. Set your seat properly. Don’t push it so far back that you have to lean and hunch forward to reach the steering wheel. Protect your back at work. Many of us are desk jockeys. We sit through most of our day, often in the same position, hour after hour, talking on the phone and staring at computer screens. Is it any wonder we’re stiff?

Position your computer properly. You should be seated at eye level to your screen, so that you don’t have to look too far down or too far up to do your work. Sit smart. You don’t necessarily need the perfect, custom ergonomic chair, Nessler says. “There are lots of expensive, ergonomic chairs, but nothing replaces common sense.” Get a chair that provides support for your middle and lower back. “If your knees are at 90 degrees and your spine is at a neutral posture, that’s the right position for you.” If you don’t work at a desk and you stand or lift things a lot at work, then your job has its own set of back hazards. One of the most important things for someone who stands a lot, is wearing the correct kind of shoe. Back protection at home . While working outside the home or inside the home, or both, many people spend a lot of their time bending and lifting — whether they’re grabbing a file, mopping a floor, or unloading a warehouse truck. A little-known fact:

You can hurt yourself just as much while lifting something small as you can while hoisting a huge, heavy box. There are three key “lift postures” that many physical therapists recommend: The squat lift. This is for heavy objects. Get your body as close to the object as possible, plant your feet shoulder width apart, squat down, wrap your arms around it, and stand up, using the power of your legs. “Whether it’s a baby or a heavy box, keeping the item as close to your trunk as you can allows your trunk to act as the stabilizer,” says Nessler. The “golfer’s lift.” This is for small objects like that dropped coin. It would be silly to do a full power squat lift for a coin or a pen. Instead, put all your weight on one leg, and using the opposite hand, brace yourself with one hand on a desk, chair, or other sturdy object. Then bend straight from the hip, letting the non-weight-bearing leg come off the ground a little behind you as you pick up the object. The “crane lift.” This is for heavier objects when you can’t use a squat lift — like groceries in a car trunk or a baby in a crib.

Stand with your knees shoulder width apart, as close to the object as you can get. Bend at the hips, sticking your buttocks out behind you. Grab the item and lift, pulling it as close to your body as you can as you lift up. Put it down the same way. Do exercises. Activity is often the best medicine for back pain. Simple exercises like walking can be very helpful, It gets people out of a sitting posture and puts the body in a neutral, upright position. But remember to move in moderation, stay away from strenuous activities like gardening and avoid whatever motion caused the pain in the first place.