How to effectively prevent back pain
Staying in front of the computer for hours, psychological tension, overweight and little exercise in everyday life are the starting point for the development of back pain. Here are a few tips that you should definitely follow if you want to keep your back fit.
If you want to prevent the pain in your back, you should ensure regular exercise and strengthen your muscles in a targeted manner. But even "stupid" habits or wrong learned movement patterns damage the entire holding apparatus and can lead to damage to the intervertebral discs or wear of the vertebrae in the long term.
Active lifestyle
Back pain is often caused by weak muscles and muscular imbalances. Targeted strength training of the muscles therefore helps to prevent back pain from developing in the first place. However, muscles must not be trained on one side, otherwise the entire system shifts. Whether flexors and extensors or abductors and adductors - there is an opponent to every muscle. Only if the interaction works, the muscles ensure optimal mobility and stability of the back. The abdominal and back muscles in particular must work together perfectly to keep the trunk stable and prevent pain in the back. In addition to the isolated strengthening of different muscle groups on the training device, the trend is increasingly towards so-called functional training. This involves training complex movement sequences that take up several joints and muscle groups simultaneously.
Dynamic sitting
Sitting determines most of our everyday life. This makes it all the more important, for example during office hours, to take short breaks from work. Get up every 30 minutes from work and walk around, make phone calls while standing and do some stretching and strengthening exercises in between. Also change your sitting position from time to time: just relax in your chair. Because everything is better than sitting for hours in a static position.
It's posture that matters: Bend & carry correctly
It happened quickly: The water box raised incorrectly and the pain shoots into the back. Especially during everyday movements such as lifting, carrying or bending down, acute injuries to the spine frequently occur. Incorrect movement can put considerable pressure on the intervertebral discs and, in the worst case, lead to a herniated disc if the structures are already damaged. Always squat with your back straight, not only when bending down but also when lifting. Avoid rotating the fuselage. You should also be aware of a few things when carrying heavy loads: Wear the item at waist level close to your body or spread the weight evenly over both hands.
Stop smoking for back pain
Smoking not only increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer, but also damages back health. Scientists have discovered a link between nicotine use and an increased risk of pain in the lumbar region. Especially the nutrient supply of the intervertebral discs is clearly worsened in smokers. At the same time, smoking hinders the formation of new tissue due to reduced blood circulation and reduces the elasticity of the connective tissue.
Healthy food for your back
Vitamins, trace elements and enzymes provide the intervertebral discs, muscles, tendons and ligaments with all the important nutrients they need to be stable and elastic. A balanced and healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables not only melts away excess pounds but also provides a strong back. In addition to the minerals calcium and magnesium for maintaining bone density, vitamins are indispensable nutrients for a stable spine. Take care to keep the consumption of sugary foods as low as possible. Sugar ensures that the cartilage between the small vertebral joints overacidifies and thus degenerates more quickly. You should also drink plenty of fluids, preferably 3 litres of mineral water and tea a day.
Relieve stress
The spine is a seismograph for stress in many people. If we are tense, the muscle tone immediately increases. Stress and pressure do not subside, eventually tiring the constantly tense back muscles and resulting in tension and pain in the back. But other psychological stress, for example when someone is literally depressed by their worries, also causes back pain. When we feel pressure, we almost automatically assume a bent, tense posture. Therefore, find opportunities where you can specifically reduce stress. Relaxation methods such as Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation or autogenic training also help to relax tense muscles and calm the mind.