Experiencing lower back pain is common among individuals above age 30. Back pain can strike at any moment. Sometimes all it takes is picking up your toddler to give him/her a little joy ride. In most cases, lower back pain is short term and goes away after a couple of days of trouble. However, if it persists, you may need to make certain everyday adjustments that mainly hover around your lifestyle.
Your lifestyle plays a crucial role in how your back acts out after a certain age. Healthy habits like regular exercise, balanced diet, and good posture among others can help you prevent or relieve back problems.
Follow these tips for lower back pain relief and lumbar support.
#1 Lumbar Support Devices Lower Back Pain
When back pain strikes, walking, getting up from a chair, or even coughing can feel torturous. This is because sometimes the lower back can become as sensitive as an exposed nerve. Therapy along with the mandatory bed rest can help relieve the pain and discomfort. Experts say using a lumbar support device can aid the procedure. A simple back brace or a decompression belt can help support you with your daily activities like walking, standing, sitting, etc. Lumbar support devices are not a permanent treatment for back pain, but they can surely help with the treatment procedure by providing short-term relief.
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#2 Correct your Posture
Posture is how or the way you hold your body while sitting, standing, walking, or performing tasks like bending, lifting, reaching, or pulling. If your posture is good, your vertebrae (bones of the spine) are correctly aligned. Poor posture puts a strain on your back that can lead to degenerated discs.
You need to support the natural curve of your spine. To correct your posture, start performing imagery exercises. Think of a straight line passing through your body from ceiling to the ground (your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and ears should be even and line up vertically). Next, imagine that the straight line on top of your head is pulling you up. You need to ensure that your lower back doesn’t sway while trying to hold your pelvis level. You don’t need to stand on your toe tip, instead imagine stretching your head towards the ceiling, increasing the space between your pelvis and rib cage.
Practice this twice or thrice a day for 5-10 minutes to correct your posture.
#3 Keep your Back Muscles Strong
Back pain usually happens when your spine is stressed out from all the hard work you are doing without taking any rest. You need to strengthen your back muscles with proper exercise to prevent degeneration of the spine. When you are able to build up enough muscle strength to support your spine, it will keep your back healthy. When you are in shape, you can altogether avoid back pain.
Start performing low-impact cardiovascular exercises like cycling, walking, or jogging to increase the blood flow in your spine. When the blood circulation is perfectly carried on in your spine, it helps supply hydration and healing nutrients to the structures in your lower back. However, if exercise is too intimidating for you, you can start slowly. Consider going up and down your stairs 2-3 times in a row.
#4 Eat for Bone Health
Healthy eating is not only beneficial for your back health but your overall health as well. For starters, a balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy weight, which will help prevent adding strain on your spine. You need to eat foods that are healthy for your bone. Foods high in calcium like yogurt, cheese, milk, oatmeal, orange juice, and supplements can help promote bone growth while keeping them strong.
You need to take Vitamin D to promote your bone health. Start eating eggs, cereals, and seafood like salmon, and cod liver oil. Lastly, phosphorous is another nutrient that you need to feed your bones to keep them healthy. Kidney beans, bran cereals, milk, black beans, etc. are some of the most abundant sources of phosphorous.
#5 Sleep Better
Sleeping with back pain can be very difficult, and when you aren’t getting enough sleep, it may worsen your back pain. You need to find a good sleeping position that properly supports your back while giving you a comfortable sleep. When you are suffering from back pain, you need to avoid sleeping in awkward positions like you always do. The best position is to sleep on your side with your knees drawn up close to your chest. You can place a pillow between your legs as well when you are sleeping in this position. It will reduce the stress on your back.
Summing Up
When you experience back pain, it is recommended that you consult a doctor before trying anything. He/she will be able to analyze your back properly and give a proper prescription.
