Tips for Preventing and Treating a Bad Back

As much as 80% of Americans will be affected by back pain at some point during their lives. The pain can range from being mild, and easy to relieve, to chronic and debilitating. The best way to deal with back pain is to take steps to prevent it.

The spinal cord is vertebrae (bones) that are stacked one on top of each other. These bones are separated by cartilage and wrapped by muscle. The oblique and abdomen muscles support and back muscles support the spinal column. These muscles are commonly called the core muscles. Keeping the core muscles strong will help to prevent back pain. Daily exercise should be done for core strength.

Having good posture will help protect your back. Make sure you stand, sit, walk and sleep with your back in mind. Since most people are right-handed, so they do more with the right side of the body. Therefore, the lower right side of the back is more prone to back pain. Keep all this in mind especially when lifting heavy objects.

Maintaining a normal body weight will also protect your back. The lower back supports the majority of the body’s weight. So being overweight (obese) will put extra strain on your back and cause back pain. Being obese will make lifting objects, and moving in general, more difficult. Obesity can cause someone’s center of gravity to be thrown off and it can cause difficulty in moving.

Have you ever had back pain and thought it was because you’ve been on your feet for too long? That might be the case, but think about your shoes also. A good pair of shoes that fit well, and are supportive, will help to maintain a healthy and pain-free back. Wearing the right pair of shoes, especially if you are going to be on your feet for a long time, is very important.

There are instances that back pain cannot be prevented. Some back pain is cause by an unnatural, or sudden, twisting. These occurrences cannot be completely avoided. Sometimes all it takes is a sneeze or even a cough to throw a back out.

Preventing back pain is a lot of common sense and a little bit of luck. A healthy, strong and fit body will hopefully mean a healthy, strong and fit back.

Sandi Jones writes about numerous topics, including online degrees, careers, health, online colleges, hobbies, and contemporary lifestyle issues.