Our spine does so much for us. It is the focal point of all of the movements we make. When we walk, when we sit, when we lift objects or do anything else, our spines support out movements. As such, keeping your spine in good shape is vital to maintaining good health. There are millions of people who suffer from back pain and as one of those people, I’ve come across some things that can control that pain and often prevent it from occurring at all.
Living with back pain can be a miserable experience. You cannot do the things you normally would and simple things like tying your shoes or holding your baby are cumbersome. You do not need to live that way. The first step is to understand a little about the back so you can avoid the things that will cause pain.
Your back is designed to act with gravity. The vertebra (bones) are stacked one on top of the other and are arranged with three distinct curves or arches: 1) the neck (cervical) curve, 2) the middle back (thoracic) curve and 3) the lower back (lumbar) curve.
In between the vertebrae are discs which cushion their movements and keep these bones from grinding together as we move (which is very painful). The muscles of the back are attached to your vertebrae.
The spine and muscles work together as a unit to provide movement. To keep your back pain-free and in good health, it’s important to sit and stand using proper posture. This keeps your spine in its natural position ‘ your shoulders should be aligned with your hips. When you sit, keep your feet flat on the floor and your knees at a ninety degree angle. When standing or walking, keep your feet no wider apart than your shoulders.
When you have good posture, you keep those three curves in your spine in the right alignment. This protects the health of your spine and your back muscles, preventing most back pain. However, if you already happen to suffer from back pain, what can you do to help reduce this pain? If you have bad back pain, spine strength has already been compromised. What can you do?
Stretching and simple exercises are the best ways to relieve back pain. You can reduce any back pain you may already be experiencing as well as preventing more back pain through straining your back. Before you exercise or take part in any other potentially strenuous physical activity, you should warm up with some stretches and bending exercises to make sure that your back muscles are loosened up.
There are some exercises which can be very helpful to those who are currently suffering from back pain. Make sure not to overdo it with these exercises though ‘ it’s important to take it easy so as not to increase the pain you’re already in. Leg lifts and side bends are among the best exercises to relieve back pain as are forward/backward bends. Remember to keep your exercising gentle and stop at once if you experience any pain while exercising.
By practicing good posture and doing some warm ups before engaging in any activity will alleviate a problem most of the time. For back pain sufferers, good, back friendly posture will rebuild your spine one vertebra at a time and put you back in line in no time.
Be good to your back and spine and it will be good to you for a long time to come. Work to improve posture and your back will reward you.
Remember to always lift with your legs and not your back – many serious back injuries are caused by improper lifting. Bend at the knee, take hold of the object to be lifted and stand up. This is a safe way to lift which watches out for your spine.
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[...] muscles are connected to the spine and commonly referred to as the "core". Because the muscles have to coordinate the movement of many necessary joints in many different directions, keeping them strong and in tone [...]