Lower back pain seems like an inevitable fact of life as we get older. It seems like everybody has it or is bound to have it at some point. Things don’t have to be this way. There are instances of injuries and medical conditions that cause lower back pain, and these are largely unavoidable. However, most cases of lower back pain are brought on from poor habits.
Minor lower back pain is usually related to poor posture or excessive physical activity. Either way, this kind of lower pain can usually be treated with some rest and medication. But your best option for treating lower back pain is actually preventing it.
These five tips can help prevent lower back pain
A sore back can make it difficult to get through the day. Preventing minor lower back pain is simpler than you might think, and it becomes more important as you grow older. Below are a few steps that you may find useful for preventing lower back pain:
- Correct your posture — Sitting or standing hunched over is a common cause of lower back pain. Sit and stand straight with your chest forward, shoulders back and chin up. This can help keep your spine straight and reduce the stress that hunching over puts on your muscles.
- Exercise — Regularly exercising can help keep the muscles in your core and back strong. Stronger muscles in these areas provide better support for your upper body. Exercising also improves cardiovascular health, which improves blood flow to the muscles in your back.
- Eat healthier — Your back muscles and spine require nutrients like the rest of your body. Good sources of nutrients for your back can be found in fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and dairy products.
- Sleep on your side — Sleeping on your side with a pillow that keeps your head and neck aligned with the rest of your body can be good for your spine. Lying on your back, on your stomach or in a twisted position can put stress on your spine that causes lower back pain.
- Quit smoking — When most people think of smoking, they think of lung diseases and heart diseases. While smoking is the leading cause in many lung and heart conditions, you should know it also harms your back. Smoking affects your cardiovascular health, which reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients that get to your spine and back muscles from your bloodstream.
Treat lower back pain with help from Panther Physical Therapy
Are you already dealing with lower back pain? You can find effective help treating it at Panther Physical Therapy. Our team offers free screenings intended to reveal the root cause of your lower back pain. We also excel at building personalized therapy plans designed to reduce your pain and prevent if from coming back, and these benefits are possible due to therapy techniques such as:
- Graston Technique®
- McKenzie Method®
- Trigger point therapy
- Manual therapy
- At-home care
- Virtual therapy
Contact us today for more information about how we can treat your back pain or to schedule your free screening.