Rapid Fat Loss Diets

Friday, June 26, 2009

Prevention of Low Back Pain

By Jim R Knolen

Low back pain affects hundreds of thousands of people each year. Unfortunately, statistics point out that almost everyone, at some point in their lifetime, will experience low back pain. We may not be able to completely prevent all possible occurrences of it, there are many things we can do. We will look at some of the practical preventative tactics such as diet, posture, lifting and massage chair therapy which can help to minimize the possibility of low back pain or speed its recovery.

The diet is the fuel we are putting into our body. It is important to maintain nutrition so that our muscles and soft tissues can perform. Many people have poor diets because they eat many processed foods and sugars or fast foods high in fats. This can cause people to gain weight. Your spine has to take up this extra weight on an ongoing basis. For better health it is important to reduce the weight and stress on the spine.

Although your spine is an amazing engineering feat, it can become overloaded or misused. It is important to use proper lifting techniques and to maintain your posture. Learn to protect your back. When you lift use your legs. Your posture should be upright and not in a slouched position.

Simple things like sitting and standing can help reduce the occurrence of low back pain. Many people sit with their shoulders slouched or too far back in the chair. You should sit more upright and support your spine. When you sit in a slouched position with your shoulders forward, it puts more pressure on your upper back. This is easy to correct by holding your shoulders back and sitting straight in the chair.

Lifting objects is an important area to perform correctly. Injury can occur even with light objects. Most people incorrectly lift objects by bending over and using their back. This causes very small muscles to have to do the heavy lifting. The proper technique to lift objects is with your legs. To lift objects with your legs you must bend your knees. Bend your knees down until you can pick up the object and then straighten your legs back up while keeping your back straight.

Prevent low back pain by performing periodic exercise. A proper regimen of exercises helps improve the core muscles, strengthens the back and improves flexibility. All of these benefits will help to decrease the risk of developing low back pain. Strong and flexible muscles protect the spinal column, decrease the risk of a herniated disc and improve your overall appearance.

Massage chair therapy is used extensively to restore flexibility in the lower back muscles. There are a variety of massage techniques that are used to stimulate the muscles of the lumbar area. Slight stretching of the soft tissue areas is important for them to maintain their elasticity. Massage chairs use techniques such as kneading, vibration, compression and tapping to soothe and relieve the sore muscle areas.

Another important preventative health tip for your spine is your sleeping position. Most people sleep between seven and eight hours a night. Improper sleeping positions can put stress on different parts of the spine and neck. It is better to sleep on your back than on your stomach. If you sleep on your side you may want to consider using a pillow to put between your knees. This will help to straighten your spine while you sleep. You can also try rolling up a small towel and inserting it in the lumbar area to make it more comfortable.

While most people will suffer from low back pain at some point in their lives there are specific treatment protocols and methods of prevention that can help to speed the recovery process and reduce the risk of the problem happening again. Diet, exercise, lifting techniques, sleeping and massage therapy can all help to minimize potential problems and low back pain. Massage chairs can be an excellent asset in the prevention and healing of low back problems. Check with your doctor for more information and what might be right for your situation. - 17273

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