Suffering from low back pain is definitely not something in your plans for this summer. Although it’s a very common condition that most adults face at one point, you can still avoid it by staying in movement and paying attention to what makes you healthy.
Doing exercises and adjusting your posture are some habits that can help you take care of your spine health. At University Pain & Spine, we know how making subtle yet relevant changes in your daily routine can be beneficial for your body, and we’re showing you how you can achieve it.
Where Does Low Back Pain Come From?
Back pain can come in different forms. One day it can show up as a sudden but very felt sharp pain, or can become a constant ache that slowly kills your spine health. It’s not only a condition that comes from being sedentary or overweight, since lower back pain can result from a fracture or an injury. It’s also a common symptom of many diseases like arthritis, fibromyalgia or spinal stenosis.
Most of the time, this medical condition doesn’t require a surgical intervention. With the right treatments and therapy, you can start feeling relief in your back again.
Why Staying Active Is Key
Having a physically active life isn’t only positive for your appearance, but also for your overall health and quality of life. It comes across as a natural mood lifter, keeping anxiety, depression and other emotional swings away from making you unstable. When regular exercising becomes a part of your daily routine, it becomes a pillar for your mental health.
And just like they say, “When you feel good on the inside, it shows on the outside”. When you’re physically active, you become more fit and energetic. Your strength, stamina and stability increase as you do it everydayーwhether it’s through weight lifting, pilates, walking, or swimming. All of these aspects combined, result in keeping your worries and the doctor away.
Learn more: Ways in which Low Back Pain Manifests and Innovative Treatments
5 Summer Tips To Stay In Movement
Transforming your daily routine into one that can benefit your spine health is not as difficult as you think, and this summer is the perfect time to do it. Include these five habits in your life, and you’ll start seeing a difference.
Keep on moving
When your back hurts, normally you’d think the best thing to do is rest. Maybe limiting your physical activity for a short period can help, but after one or two days, the next step (and maybe the most helpful one) is to do exercises to ease your inflammation and muscle tension.
Get a better sleep
Maybe you’re sleeping in a position that’s causing pain in your low back. When you start feeling discomfort in this area of your body, one of the first things to check is how you’re resting, and adjust it. Sleeping on your side in a fetal position, or sleeping on your back with one pillow under your lower back are suggested.
Fix your posture
The posture that you take when standing up or sitting, can be crucial for your spine health. Working with your computer or looking down using your phone are normally some of the causes for a bad posture, but this can be easily corrected. You can try standing up against a wall, making sure that your calves, buttocks, shoulders and the back of your head are in touch with the wall.
Technique over strength
When you’re at the gym, you need to be careful about how you’re lifting your weights, since it can directly impact your spine health. Prioritizing using the correct technique for each exercise instead of caring about being the strongest is key when it comes to avoiding low back pain. The exercises where your back can be in danger are deadlifts, squats, and pull overs.
Be careful with your weight
Being overweight or obese can have negative effects on your low back. The spine starts becoming tilted and stressed, and eventually you’ll lose the support that your back needs, causing your spine to bend over time.
Prevent Low Back Pain
Although lower back pain is something that you can’t completely avoid, taking care of your daily habits can make you less vulnerable to it. Fixing your routine by considering our tips can not only be beneficial for your spine, but also for your overall health.
University Pain & Spine Center not only provides you with advice, our team at New Jersey also can treat your low back pain through minimally invasive procedures and the therapy that you need. If you’re suspecting that your spine health is at risk, just contact us.