Staying Safe At Work

Smart Ways To Reduce Lower Back Pain

23 February 2016

Brent Chapman

Lower back pain can make it difficult to sleep and perform daily tasks comfortably. Over time, constant pain in the lower back pain can cause undue stress and reduced quality of life. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to can help reduce pressure on your back and decrease your levels of pain. The following tips will help you take better care of your back and increase your comfort throughout the day.

Low Impact Exercise

You may have heard that exercising a few times a week can be good for your back, but not all exercise is helpful for reducing back pain. High impact exercise, like running and many team sports, can be hard on your joints, including your back. The best form of exercise for lower back pain are low-impact activities like swimming and cycling. These exercises can help strengthen your muscles, improve flexibility and increase your body's production of pain-killing endorphins.

Use an Ergonomic Desk Chair

Sitting all day in an unsupportive desk chair can cause you to slump forward, causing you to assume an exaggerated S shape in the spine. Over time, your back can actually develop a permanent slump, leading to all manner of back and shoulder pain. Ergonomic desk chairs are designed to conform to the curve of your back, enabling your spine to assume a proper S shape.

As an alternative to switching chairs, you might also try switching to a standing desk. Standing desks make it easy to keep up a straight posture, and as a bonus, can help keep you up and moving (which gives you a little more exercise throughout the day).

Lose Weight

Extra body weight is hard on your body in a variety of ways, and can be especially hard on your body's musculoskeletal system. Over time, extra body weight can wear down your knees, back and shoulders, causing you to assume compensatory postures, leading to even more back problems. Losing weight reduces pressure on the vertebrae in your back, which can naturally reduce the pain you feel.

Sleep Right

Sleeping on your side, with your legs slightly bent and a pillow between your knees, will help keep your spine straight as you sleep throughout the night. This can reduce pressure on your joints and help with back pain. For extra support, put an ergonomic, form-fitting pillow under your neck to prevent your spine from bending at the head.

For more useful lifestyle advice and other helpful suggestions, see a chiropractor. Chiropractors use a variety of natural, medication-free lower back pain treatments to eliminate subluxations and reduce pressure on the vertebrae of the spine.

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