5 Ways to Limit Your Risk of Back Pain

While some back pain symptoms are simply the result of a freak occurrence, many back pain issues could have been avoided through preparation. Below are five common occurrences of New York back pain that can be evaded with the proper preparation.

1. Poor Lifting Technique – Whether you or in or out of the weight room, life will often require you to lift some heavy or awkward objects. Trying to pick something up with the wrong form is something many are able to get away with in their teens, but as people grow older, severe back pain can result. When you go to lift something, take the time to bend your knees, engage your abs and keep your back straight. Beyond that, never lift an object too far away from your body – the closer you bring the object up, the less pain is likely to come as a result.

2. Posture – It doesn’t matter if you are sitting or standing, good posture will greatly reduce the risk of back pain. When thinking of good posture, you may imagine a stiff cardboard cutout. Fortunately, good posture is much easier to obtain and a lot less awkward looking. Bring your stomach towards your spine and you will instantly feel more upright and lower your risk of back pain in daily activities.

Not all back pain is the result of physical activity.
3.  Get Up – In the computer age, most people are required to sit almost 8 hours a day. Sitting and leaning towards your computer is a rather common cause of back pain. While you may not be able to avoid sitting, you can start to become more proactive about getting up during the day. Getting up every 20 minutes or so for a quick walk can do wonders for your spine. Beyond getting up as often as possible, find a chair at work that allows you to sit up straight.

4.  Exercise Consistently – When people come in for back pain in New York treatment, they often suffered their injury during a rather strenuous physical activity. The activity is often something out of a person’s comfort zone. Whether it’s randomly playing a game of soccer or swinging a baseball bat, the more often you exercise, the less likely a problem is to arise from the activity.

5. Warm Up – Just like a baseball pitcher wouldn’t come into a game without throwing their warm up pitches, a person shouldn’t put their back to work without the proper warming up. To warm up your back, just take the time to do some stretches before a strenuous activity. Five to ten minutes of stretching could help reduce the risk of five to ten weeks of back pain down the road.

Your pain management doctor in New York or northern New Jersey will discuss your risks in detail before, during, and after treatment.