Too often we focus on the treatment aspect of lower back pain, but there are many simple things we can do to lessen the likelihood of getting back pain in the first place.
We are very symmetrical creatures . . . we like to be balanced, left to right and back to front. Often imbalance leads to pain. This can happen when one set of muscles is stronger or weaker than their opposing muscles. Equally, unbalanced tightness can cause problems as well.
Although not ‘injuries’ as such, muscle imbalance like this can result in significant and prolonged pain.
Here are some easy tips which you can implement straight away:
- Try to think about your stance and the way you move. Make sure that your weight is evenly spread over both feet. If you must lean more heavily on one leg, try to even that out if possible, by changing legs occasionally.
- If your job demands twisting, try to bend your knees slightly, and swivel from your hips as well as your spine. The more joints and muscles that contribute to a movement, the less will be the load on any one of them, especially your spine
- If your job requires a lot of bending forward for example, take a break every now and then to move in the opposite direction, i.e. bending backward, to try to even things up a bit
- Try to alternate tasks where possible. Sometimes it’s a case of wanting to finish something completely… even when you feel fatigued. This is when problems can occur. If you can, change to a different task and then return once your muscles have had a chance to recover.
- Engage your core muscles when lifting. Practise “turning your deep abdominals on” by pulling your belly button inwards, towards your tail bone. Hold the contraction whilst you lift.
- When lifting, move the object as close to you as possible. Then use your legs to lift, rather than your back.
- If you sit at a desk for prolonged periods, make sure your workstation is set up correctly for you. If your workplace has a professional to help you with this, take advantage of their knowledge….it’s worth it.