6 Lifestyle Habits To Manage Your Chronic Back Pain
Severe lower back pain is one of the most common complaints and which always comes to our nerves. It becomes a difficult task for us to perform our daily activities.
Certain lifestyle factors, such as obesity, no physical activity, poor posture, poor diet, and smoking, are the main culprits that result in back pain
However, by adopting a few lifestyle changes it is possible to reduce chronic back pain, such as -
Correct posture
- Incorrect posture is the main reason for causing and increasing chronic back pain; primarily for today’s generation who sit for hours without a break.
- Sit up straight and stop slouching. Slouching causes severe lower back pain, muscle tension, joint pain, reduced circulation, and fatigue.
- Avoid slouching during walking or standing, keep proper spine alignment, stand or walk with back straight and shoulders tall.
- Avoid prolonged sitting. Take regular breaks in-between and walk around to minimize spinal cord compression and loosen muscle tension.
Exercise
- Exercise regularly to improve muscle strength and tone.
- Perform stretching exercises to improve muscle flexibility.
- Stretch neck muscles regularly by turning your head from one side to another.
- Perform abdominal exercises to support lower back muscles, thus preventing chronic lower back pain.
Maintain a healthy weight
- Over-weight or obesity can affect the abdominal muscles, causing problems for the pelvis and spine, and leading to constant low back pain.
- Extra weight is responsible for chronic back pain as it causes muscle weakness, spine compression, spine misalignment, slowed metabolism, and slow recovery time.
- Obesity discourages individuals from engaging in everyday physical activities and impacts their overall health.
Lift weights properly
- Many people have a misconception that they know how to lift heavy objects properly and safely. With improper lifting techniques, they can injure their back giving rise to muscle strain and resulting in severe back pain.
- When trying to lift any heavy objects bend knees and keep the object close to the body. Also, take care not to twist your body while lifting as it might cause severe right side back pain and left side back pain.
- Don’t forget to wear a brace if the job requires heavy lifting. If an object is very heavy to lift, ask someone for help. If possible make use of lifting devices to help lift loads.
Choose right mattress
- A bad mattress often forces us to sleep in an unnatural position that twists and strains our back which ultimately results in severe and chronic back pain. A high-quality orthopedic or back-support mattress is the best option. Try "medium-firm” for a correct spine alignment.
- Prefer a new mattress, place pillows behind the knees, if sleeping on the back. If sleeping on sides then it’s a good idea to place pillows in-between the legs, so that the natural curve of the spine is maintained.
- All these sleeping tips will help to reduce back pain and provide a good night’s sleep. However, these are only temporary relief factors, but if there is chronic back pain then it’s advisable to consult your physician.
