Your lower back (also known as the lumbar spine or region) is one of the most common areas where people develop back pain. At any given time, a large number of American adults are dealing with lower back pain.
Lower back pain is typically a symptom of a deeper issue. Sports injuries or improperly lifting heavy objects are issues that can cause lumbar pain. There are many other factors that can increase your risk of lumbar pain as well. However, there are also tips you can use to help prevent lower back pain.
Three tips you can use to help prevent lower back pain
Your back is a complex structure made up of vertebrae, muscles, nerves and more. The large number of structures in your back also means that it’s much more vulnerable to injury. These three tips offer helpful advice on how to prevent lower back pain:
- Strengthen your core — The core muscles include the back muscles, abs, diaphragm, obliques and others. Inactivity often leads to weakness in the core muscles, which decreases their support for your lower back. However, you can increase their ability to provide back support by doing exercises like planks and bridges to strengthen them.
- Pay attention to how and how long you sit — One factor that commonly leads to lower back pain is poor posture while sitting. Many people slump forward to look down at their computer screen or cell phone for hours at a time. The longer you sit, the more likely this posture is to cause back pain. Straightening up when you sit and getting up to move around more often can help reduce the ill effects of poor sitting posture.
- Eat a varied, healthy diet — All the structures in your back need vitamins, minerals, proteins and other nutrients to help them stay strong and healthy. Eating the same kinds of food constantly can reduce the types of nutrients your body is getting. Also, eating lots of processed or carb-heavy meals can lead to obesity and inflammation, which can increase your risk of lower back pain.One tip to help prevent lower back pain is to eat a more varied diet that puts more emphasis on fruits and veggies. Doing so will help you get a wider array of vitamins and minerals and antioxidants that help fight inflammation.
Visit Excel Sports & Physical Therapy to find more help preventing lower back pain
Do you think you’re at risk of developing lower back pain? Our physical therapy team at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help you find ways to prevent it. We offer free screenings that can pinpoint issues that cause this type of pain. Our team can also build you a personalized treatment and prevention plan, which might include beneficial therapy methods like:
Take the next step to start preventing pain in your lower back. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
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