How to Prevent Back Pain

Basic preventive measures

Some ways to reduce muscle tension in the back and reduce the risk of Lower Back Pain.

A healthy lifestyle

• Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you are overweight. To find your body mass index (BMI), take our test.
• Make of regular exercise and warm up before starting a physical activity. This is the best way to maintain strength and flexibility back. Pay particular attention to the muscles of the abdomen and back, which is a natural corset for the spine while protecting it from shocks. It is important to learn the exercises under the supervision of a qualified instructor. Poorly executed exercises may trigger or aggravate back pain.
• Reserve moments of relaxation.

Good posture

• Be aware of posture at all times. The back is straight, eyes forward, shoulders back.
• To lift a heavy object, squat down by bending the knees while keeping your back straight, stand up and unfolding the legs while holding the object close to your body. Avoid twisting.
• To shovel the snow, keep your back as straight as possible. To do this, place the lowest hand possible on the handle, bend your knees to pick up snow, use the knee as a lever when the load is heavy, and avoid twisting the back when it rejects the snow.

At work

• If you must stay long standing, use a low stool on which lay the feet alternately, alternating every five to ten minutes.
• If you must sit for long hours at the office or driving a vehicle, making stops to stretch and stretch.
• Use straight-backed chairs that support well the lower back.
• Use a swivel chair to minimize twisting.
• Adjust the height of the chair or put your feet on a small stool so that knees are slightly higher than hips.
• For computer work, adjust the screen height so that the eyes are fixed straight ahead and head, relatively straight.

Think about it

• Focus on backpacks to handbags, and use both shoulders to carry the backpack.
• Push heavy objects rather than pull them.
• Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes (over 5 cm). Porter rather tight fitting shoes that provide good support.

Who are at Risk of Lower Back Pain and Lower Back Ache Risk Factors

Lower Back Pain one of the several Body Pain. Due to symptoms and causes of Lower Back Ache, a list of people at risk is created :

• People whose job requires spending long hours sitting or standing.
• Workers required to lift or pull heavy loads.
• Workers who frequently have to lean forward or perform torso twists side.
• Pregnant women, who bear an extra weight of 9 kg to 12 kg in the stomach and whose hormones control a relaxation of muscle tissue (primarily the pelvic region to facilitate delivery, but also near the spine).
• People whose parents suffered from degenerative disc disease, of OA or of osteoporosis.

Risk Factors of Lower Back Pain

• Lack of physical training or overtraining.
• Overweight.
• Poor posture.
• Wearing high-heeled shoes.
• The smoking because it contributes to the osteoporosis.
• The stress extended. Repressed emotions or where unsatisfactory work contribute to back pain. Stress increases muscle tension in the back.

Symptoms of Lower Back Pain

Due to the complex anatomy of the lumbar spine and the multiple causes of pain in his lower back, symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. For the same condition, two people can describe their pain very differently.

• If the pain in his lower back occurs suddenly and is manifested by a sudden and intense contraction of muscles is usually a sign of muscle damage, sprained ligaments, breaking or removal of a disc.
• If pain culminates in the morning and diminishes with movement and stretching, it may be a muscle trauma or of osteoarthritis.
• When the pain goes down along the posterior part of one or both legs, it is neuralgia sciatica. The pain is then exacerbated by coughing, sneezing or exercise. This type of pain can be a sign of a herniated disc.
• If the pain in the lower back is worse at night and is not relieved by exercise, it can be caused by pressure exerted by inflammation, a diseased organ or a tumor.

What causes Lower Back Pain ?

Back pain is a symptom. It is therefore important to identify the source of evil to find the best treatment. The causes of back pain are varied. Often it is difficult to pinpoint the origin of evil.

Here are the sources of pain the most frequent.

• An injury to a muscle, tendon or ligament. An effort or unusual twist or accumulation of microdamage caused by repetitive motion may be the cause. People in poor physical condition are most at risk.
• The disc degeneration. Between each vertebrae there are kinds of small cushions called intervertebral discs. They help absorb shock and provide flexibility to the spine. With aging, discs lose their elasticity. It shows a disc degeneration in almost all persons over 60 years. Some athletes also experience this problem around the quarantine, especially those who practice an activity that creates pressure on the spine.
• A herniated disc. A portion of the gel content in the intervertebral disc protrudes outward and compresses the nerve roots. Poor posture, excess weight, pregnancy and disc degeneration are major causes of disc herniation.
• A gynecological problem. Many women have back pain on a regular or constant, because of painful periods, of endometriosis, etc..
• Slippage of one vertebra onto another vertebra (spondylolisthesis). This situation can occur due to a congenital weakness in the vertebral structures or following trauma.
• Arthritis, osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. These health problems are common among the elderly. If the osteoporosis of the spine is important, it can cause a vertebral fracture.

Whatever the origin of back pain, there is often a contraction of muscles around the painful area. It is a protective reflex. This contraction may itself cause the pain. A vicious cycle can then begin and contribute to chronic pain.