Back pain and back injuries are extremely common as a source of work absences and in the more severe form can cause early disability for many Americans. There are precautions that you can take to minimize the risk of injury to your back and decrease the chance of living with chronic back pain. When you are in a seated position for an extended period of time, such as on an airplane or in your car, tuck a little pillow behind your lower back. This will support the curve of your waist which will leave your joints and muscles in a more relaxed position.
Use 2 pillows when you sleep at night. If you sleep on your side, use 1 pillow for between your knees thus keeping pressure off your back. For those that sleep on their back, put a pillow under your knees to diminish pressure to your hips. Try to avoid sleeping on your stomach since this arches your back and causes trouble.
Choose the chairs you sit in carefully. Low soft chairs and couches are tough on your back as you throw yourself forward to get up, increasing the possibility of wrenching your back. Avoid twisting your back when you transfer groceries from the cart to the car. Keep your hips and shoulders parallel.
Twisting your back for transferring puts seven times the force on your spine. Worktables should be keot at a height that’s beneficial to your back. Your worktable should be no more than 4 inches below your elbows when standing. For a seated position, your worktable should be at elbow level. This will keep you from bending over while working.
When packing suitcases, don’t overstuff one and carry it on one side of your body. Instead, evenly distribute into 2 bags and carry one on each side to avoid straining one side of your back. Lift properly to avoid back injuries. Keep your legs apart slightly and bend your knees and hips. Keep what you’re lifting close to your body. While lifting, take a deep breath, exhale and tighten your abdomen muscles to decrease stress on your back. Stay active to keep all of your muscles more toned . Inactivity will make you more likely to suffer from back pain and injuries.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 at 8:18 pm and is filed under Fitness Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.