(without relying on medications, frequent trips to your doctor, or surgery)
Did you know??
• Experts estimate that up to 80% o the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives.
• Back pain can affect people of all ages, from adolescents to the elderly.
• Back pain is the third most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office.
• Most cases of back pain are mechanical-meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.
Here are 3 of the 7 Tips to Ease your low back pain TODAY. (Our next blog will feature the last 4 Tips)
1. Rest is not Best!
One of the worst things you can do to treat your low back pain is to rest. Laying or sitting for extended periods of time actually does the opposite, prolonging low back pain and stiffness.
Going for a daily 20 minute walk keeps you mobile, your joints lubricated, and muscles functioning optimally.
2. Ice or Heat?
Ice and heat may provide you with short-term pain relief. Use an ice pack or frozen bag
of peas. Place inside of a pillow case or towel and put on your low back for 10-20 minutes or until the area goes numb.
Heat can be provided by a hot bath, shower, or hot pack and is great to loosen up tight muscles, especially in the low back. When using a hot pack, place on the area of your low back pain but do not lay on it. This results in too much heat conducting onto your skin and may result in a burn.
You can also alternate between ice and heat. Find out what works the best for you!
3. Maintain Good Posture
It’s not all about sitting up straight. Your spine has natural curves that must be maintained to achieve good alignment. If any of the curves are compromised, it results in poor posture.
Make sure your chair is high enough that your hips are slightly higher than your
knees . If you are short and your feet do not touch the floor, then
use a footrest to achieve the same alignment. You should be sitting on your ‘sit bones’, not your tailbone. Your low back should have a slight curve inwards, mid back outwards, and your chin should not be ‘poking’ forwards.
Comments