The 10 Best Ways To Prevent Back Pain:
By Dr. Heath Gallentine, DC


It is a lot better to prevent back pain, than to treat it once it's there. Therefore, there are many things that you can do to prevent back pain.

•    Pay Attention When You Feel Pain
If you feel any pain or discomfort while doing any activity, it is a warning that there could be something wrong. Put a stop to what you are doing so that it may not cause further damage to your back. Also do not try to fix it by your self because it might worsen the pain.

•    Work Out
Getting regular exercise everyday is very important. It can help facilitate strength and mobility. Regular exercise should be done everyday even for just 15 to 20 minutes but if you are feeling some pain, do not force yourself to exercise. Some examples of exercises are swimming, cycling, and brisk walking, though you can choose the ones that are appropriate for you and what you like. If you can't exercise everyday, at lease 3-4 times per week.

•    Warm Up
In every exercise or activity that you do, warm up first by stretching your muscles to prevent any injuries, this will get your body ready for action.

•    Cool Down
Same as warming up before an exercise, you should be able to cool down after working out. Do not immediately stop when doing an exercise instead just slowly relax your muscles.

•    Do Proper Body Mechanics
Picking up a light object and lifting it in a wrong way can hurt your back. However you can experience no back pain from lifting a heavy object using proper body mechanics. Plus carrying an object away from your body would likely cause back pain. When you lift up something, even if it is heavy, placing it near your body allows your back to be straight. Also, daily activities such as using the vacuum, sitting, or even getting out of your car requires proper body mechanics. Keeping your back straight, and not bending in unnatural positions can prevent and unwanted strain.

•    Do Some Stretching Once In A While
As you keep your body at rest, such as prolonged sitting or lying in bed, this can bring about weakness of the muscles. Take some time to stretch for at least 5 minutes especially if you have been sitting for a long period of time. Also, avoid slouching most of the time as it can tire your back.

•    Choose Quality
When you are going to choose furniture in your house or in your office, make sure that you try it first. For example, if you are going to buy a chair for your office desk, make sure that you are comfortable and it will give support to your back. Better if it also has some adjustable knobs. If you don't have a good support chair, the use of a lumbar support can help. Another example is choosing a bed for your room. This is one item that is very important since it allows you to have a good night sleep. Much of our life is spent sleeping and if you don't have proper support from your mattress, this can lay the foundation to back problems. Don't trust too much when the label says orthopedic, because sometimes that is misinforming. You want to choose a bed with a firm base. The mattress must also be sufficiently soft to mould the shape of your body, but adequately firm to provide you support in the correct places.

•    Sleep Right
Sleeping on your stomach places more pressure on your neck and back because it goes against the natural curves of the spine. This can cause severe back and neck pain. Sleeping on your side is the optimal position, however it is okay to sleep in your back less frequently. Make use of pillows that can support your neck and back. When you are on your side, use a good cervical support pillow and place a pillow between your knees to prevent any unwanted pressure to your hips. When laying on your back, you also need to use a good cervical pillow, as well as place a pillow under the knees to take pressure off the low back.

•    Lose Weight
Excess weight causes undo pressure on the back, especially the low back. By just losing a small amount of weight, it can give relief to low back pain. So start exercising, even just a few times a week, and it can help to relieve that low back pain.

•    Seek Advice From A Chiropractor
Chiropractic care is not just for people in pain. Chiropractors use spinal manipulation to keep the spine in proper alignment. Therefore, this can prevent as well treat injury. Therefore, regular visits to the Chiropractor can help to prevent back pain from even occurring. However, if you do experience back pain, don't wait for weeks before consulting a doctor. Pain is a sign that something is wrong and waiting to get treated can cause a worsening of the condition.  Most pain or discomfort can be checked by a chiropractor, which will allow you to get relief and recover from the condition. Also, it might reduce the chance of having another injury and having to go back. A chiropractor will refer you to another type doctor if your condition cannot be treated by their field of expertise.

Call Us Today!

Lexington Family Chiropractic
131 Prosperous Pl #15
Lexington, KY 40509
859-264-1140