Back pain is one of the most common ailments plaguing people today. Half of working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year and 31 million Americans experience back pain at any given time. We spend $50 billion dollars each year on trying to fix, heal, or treat back pain. So what is the way to deal with it? Below we have a whole list of tips that can be helpful. Hopefully some of these can help YOU!
- Maintain a healthy diet and weight, to have strong bones you need to get enough calcium and vitamin D every day.
- Remain active.
- Avoid prolonged inactivity or bed rest.
- Warm up or stretch before exercising or other physical activities, such as gardening.
- Maintain proper posture.
- Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.
- Sleep on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve in your spine.
- Lift with your knees, keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.
- Quit smoking. Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues.
- Ensure that your computer workstation is ergonomically correct.
- Exercise often and keep your back muscles strong.
- Try to stand up straight and avoid heavy lifting when you can. If you do lift something heavy, bend your legs and keep your back straight
Sometimes the pain does not get better and further medical treatment may be necessary – when should you see a doctor?
If you have:
- Numbness or tingling
- Severe pain that does not improve with rest
- Pain after a fall or an injury
- Pain plus any of these problems:
- Trouble urinating
- Weakness
- Numbness in your legs
- Fever
- Weight loss when not on a diet