Three Effective Practices to Avoid Back Pain

January 4, 2020
Dr. G. Balamurali

Most of the people suffer from back and neck pain which makes them shattered and affects their activeness. Globally, it affects millions of people to the extent that some individuals get addicted to painkillers. That said, some good practices can prevent back pain. If you cultivate these habits, it will keep your spine strong, supple, and avoid any future pain.

Maintain good posture.

Any good spine surgeon in Chennai, India will tell you, that the easiest method for preventing any back pain is to keep a good posture. This is important while you sit, stand, or lie down. Here are a few tricks that help practice excellent posture.

  • When you stand, the weight must be balanced evenly on both feet. The back and legs should be straight with the head facing forward. Do not jut out the face.
  • When you sit, do it upright and always have support for your back. Your feet should touch the ground, flatly. The knees and the hips must remain at the same level. Always get up every hour and walk around for a few seconds. This will remove the stress from your back.
  • When you lie down, do so on a mattress firm enough to support the weight of your buttocks and shoulders. It will keep the spine straight. A pillow under the neck is good for support, but it should not force the neck to be at a steep angle.

Lifting correctly.

It is because people lift and carry heavy objects wrongly that back pain happens. The right lifting method ensures that the back is not damaged. Here’s how you should lift heavyweights:

  • First, evaluate if the weight of the object is more than what you can lift alone. If not, ask for help.
  • Second, plant your feet apart with one leg slightly forward. This will maintain your balance.
  • Third, bend your knees, hips, and back slightly and pick up the object. This ensures that the legs take the strain. Never bend down, stoop, or squat to pick a weighted object. Also, don’t straighten your legs before lifting!
  • When you are carrying a heavy object like luggage, make sure that the weight is distributed evenly on both sides of the body.
  • If you can move a heavy object across the floor, do so by pushing it. Never pull a heavy object.
  • Maintain your weight.

Another common cause of back pain is obesity. When a person has excess upper body weight, it adds stress to the lower back. Over time, this increases the risk of getting back pain. A simple solution for this is to maintain a healthy weight. For this, always eat a balanced and nutritious diet. Alongside it, exercise regularly.

A few exercises that support the back are walking and swimming. They strengthen muscles. To add flexibility, try yoga. One simple movement that you can do at home to prevent back pain is:
Lie on your stomach and then prop yourself up slowly with your hands. As you do so, the back arches and your hands push down on the floor. Remain in the position for 5 seconds and then lie back down. Repeat 8 to 10 times.

The key to avoiding back pain is taking the effort to look after back muscles and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you do so, you’ll easily prevent any long-term aches of the spine!

Related Posts:

DR. G. BALAMURALI
Internationally trained Spinal Neurosurgeon with 24 years of surgical experience, from UK. Extensively trained in all niche aspects of spinal surgery as part of 3-year fellowship in the UK (Liverpool & Nottingham), USA (San Francisco & Chicago) and Switzerland (Zurich). Senior Spine and Neurosurgeon in India since 2011.
Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

SEARCH

DR BALAMURALI BIO

About Dr. G. Balamurali
Appointment
Head of Spine Surgery
Consultant Spine and Neurosurgeon
MBBS, MRCS (Ed), MD (UK), FRCS (Surgical Neurology)
Fellow in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery - UK, USA, Switzerland
Fellow in Complex Spine Surgery – UK, Switzerland
Know my journey

DOCTOR’S INTERVIEW

RECENT WEBINARS

SURGERIES PERFORMED

linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram