6 Easy Natural Strategies to Prevent Back Pain

Most Americans experience back pain at some point, with as many as 31 million suffering at any given time. Whether it’s from physical trauma like a car accident or the natural process of aging, low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide. If you’re hurting regularly, consider taking steps to prevent back pain before it gets you down. 

Rather than letting back pain control your life — it’s one of the most common reasons for missed work! — take preventative action to maintain your wellbeing.

There are several natural back pain prevention options that are easy to implement.

6 Easy Ways to Prevent Back Pain

Even if you’re doing things like seeing a chiropractor to treat your back pain, it won’t last if you don’t make adjustments to your daily life. Use these tips to prevent future back pain (and improve your overall health).

1. Get Moving 

Exercise is associated with maintaining a healthy weight and improving muscle health. Both are critical to preventing lower back pain, as extra weight around the stomach can put added strain on your back and lack of muscle movement can cause injury when doing simple tasks.

2. Maintain Posture 

Slouching over a computer is a common cause of back pain. Strive to sit up straight or, even better, work at a standing desk for a few hours a day. It alleviates back strain and increases blood flow, helping you stay focused. 

Another technology tip: try raising your phone to look at it rather than bending your neck to look down. Doing this as often as we do each day is wreaking havoc on American backs!

3. Consider Your Nutrition

A diet high in super spicy or fast foods can strain your nervous system, which creates back problems. A diet filled with fruits, veggies, lean meats, dairy, and whole grains on the other hand keeps digestion on track.

4. Sleep on Your Side 

Sleeping flat on your back is highly inadvisable, as is sleeping on your stomach. Both put extra strain on your back, but if you must sleep on your stomach, try putting a pillow under your lower abdomen to relieve back stress. Sleeping on your side, however, is the ideal sleeping position for your back.

5. Take Regular Breaks

Sitting for too long is bad for your back. Take breaks every hour to stretch and walk a bit. 

To strengthen your hips (also good for back health), sit on the edge of your chair and stand up without using your arms. Simple, but doing this 5-10 times improves strength.

6. Lift with Your Legs

You’ve heard it a million times but we’ll say it one more: lift heavy objects with your legs, not your back. This means your back should stay straight as you lift, allowing your legs to carry the bulk of the weight.

 

Nothing crazy, but these back pain prevention strategies are proven to make a difference. Give them a try and let us know how they worked. 

How else do you prevent back pain? Tell us in the comments!