Contributors to back pain include poor posture or body mechanics, weak back muscles, stress, lack of exercise or sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, improper foot wear, poor health habits and using tobacco products.
To avoid back pain, it is important to avoid these triggering factors.
Focusing on having good posture is extremely important to avoid back problems.
It is important to have good posture when sitting, standing or lying down.
When you have poor posture it causes misaligned bones in the spine which is a major cause of back pain.
Many people spend a lot of time working at the computer, driving, watching television or being bent over texting others on their cell phone.
If they don't practice good posture and proper ergonomics, spinal problems and back pain are likely to occur.
When sitting it is important to sit upright with the head back over the shoulders.
When the head shifts forward it puts strain on the upper back and neck.
It can cause a loss of the natural curve in the neck and an abnormally increased spinal curve in the upper and mid back.
This can irritate the delicate nerves that come out of the spine.
When working at the computer or watching television, the screen should be set straight ahead at eye level.
This will help to avoid unnecessary turning of the neck which can cause strained muscles or misaligned joints.
The shoulders should be relaxed and the hips and knees should be at 90 degrees.
The feet should be flat on the floor.
It is good to get up and move around often instead of allowing yourself to be in the same position for prolonged periods of time.
If you need to turn, you should turn the entire body to avoid twisting the spine which can lead to injury.
When standing, it is also important to stand with the head back over the shoulders, avoiding forward head posture.
The shoulders should be over the hips and the hips should be over the ankles.
You should relax your knees and not lock them.
Your balance should be distributed evenly over both legs.
You should avoid leaning on one leg, as this can cause abnormal stress to one knee.
If you turn, you should turn the entire body, avoiding twisting of the low back.
Turning with your feet first can help to do this.
Excessive twisting of the low back can contribute to disc problems in the low back.
You should also avoid standing on hard surfaces.
It is also important to wear shoes that have good arch support.
The average person sends about a third of their life sleeping.
It is important to maintain good posture when lying down.
You should never sleep on your stomach.
This is bad for the spine.
It will cause rotation of the spine and cause misaligned joints.
It is important to maintain the normal curves of the spine when lying down.
When sleeping on your side, slightly bending your knees and putting a pillow between your knees can help to take pressure off your low back.
When sleeping on your back, putting a pillow under the knees can help to take pressure off the low back.
You should also avoid pillows that are too large or too small.
Having the right pillow thickness is important to maintain proper alignment of the bones in the neck and avoid muscle strain.
You should also avoid sleeping on excessively soft sofas or recliners as these do not support the natural curves of the spine.