Did you know that almost 80% of us have low back pain at some stage of our lives? So, if you haven’t experience low back pain yet, there is a high chance you could in the future. Some causes are hard to avoid, such as trauma, but there are some things within your control to help your spine!

How Is Your Posture?

I’m sure you know how important good posture is. Yet the truth is while most of us do realise the importance of good posture, it is very easy to let our focus on posture slide. Here are some good tips to help maintain a good posture whether you are stood up, sat down, or lying down.

When you are standing up make sure you are standing up straight and tall, keep your shoulders both down and back, and focus on keeping your pelvis (your hips) in line with your spine. Avoid having a big arch in your back. Imagine you are trying to keep your head vertically stacked on top of your shoulders.

When you are sitting, repeat the same position where you are sitting straight and tall and keep your shoulders both down and back. Keep you mid back touching the back rest and if there is one, keep your head touching the head rest. You can put a small pillow in the small of your back to help support the arch.

Move Your Body

We often get very engaged and focused with what we are doing, which often means we get suck in one position for a long time.

Movement is what nourishes the joints and muscles. To avoid excess tension and to keep the joints healthy, try taking a few minute’s break every hour, to get up and move around. This could be as simple as walking around or standing up when you are on the phone, or walking down the stairs and back every hour!

Strengthen You Spine

When you have low back pain, exercising can be the last thing you want to do! While you may feel like resting, remember that movement is good for your back. Regular exercise is a great way to keep the muscles and joints in a good, healthy condition.

Exercise can be in many different forms, and our main advice here (if it doesn’t hurt you), is do what you love! For some this is something very energetic like running miles and miles, and for others its something quietly contemplative like yoga.

If you are struggling to get going on your new habit, start small, with a goal of just 10 minutes a day. Over your lifetime, 10 minutes a day adds up!

Take a Bath or Use Some Ice

While everyone has their personal preference, hot and cold treatment have different benefits (depending on the need).

Cold is most effective when it is applied as early as possible after an injury, for example after sudden sharp twist of your back or repetitive bending. There are a few ways that you can ice an injury, such as ice packs, a bag of peas (wrapped in a towel) or wheat bags that can be cooled in the freezer. Cold brings down inflammation and is a good pain distractor.

Heat is most effective for long standing injuries, when there is no swelling or inflammation. Heat can be used on stiff, achy muscles or joints. A warm water bottle, heat pad or wheat bag are good options. Heat can be great to loosen off tight musculature and provide some comfort.

Heal > Adapt > Evolve