Prioritise Your Back!
Most adults suffer with some degree of back pain. Whether this is because of their work environment, a previous injury, or a weak back, it affects us all.
Here are five top tips to reduce your daily back pain. From stretches to changes in your daily routines, these should make a world of a difference!
Fix Your Home Office
Your work environment is key to fixing your back pain. As it is, for those who work a desk job, remaining seated all day is bound to restrict your spinal movement and make your back muscles very tight, which can cause some aching.
So, how can you change this without a complete switch to a non-seated career?
Thankfully, the science of ergonomics is very advanced and there’s lots of expert advice on how to improve your work station out there!
Start by looking at your chair. If you’re using it every day, you need to invest in a good chair with adjustable armrests, proper lumbar support, and even a neck rest if possible.
Next, look at how you’re sitting. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor, the screen is at your eye level, and keep your arms bent at an L-shape and your elbows close to your body.
Check out the NHS’s article here for more details on this.
Stretch!
You’ve heard it before and we’ll say it again – stretching is key!
A quick morning stretch and a gentle evening one will do wonders for your back pain. Not only will it strengthen your back, which is always good, it will also increase your flexibility.
Lastly, it will ensure your spine is not always immobile, which will help to loosen your back muscles and reduce any pains and aches.
Check out our blog here on stretches and exercises to help lower your back pain.
Get Regular Exercise
As with many physical pains, ensuring you are regularly exercising can improve your situation.
It’s commonly said by physiotherapists that back pain can occur due to tightness in the back muscles, which aren’t exercised or stretched enough.
According to the NHS, it is now known that people who are active are more likely to recover from back pain faster. While pain won’t disappear overnight, creating this healthy habit will benefit your back in the long run.
So, as well as daily stretches, make sure to incorporate regular exercise into your lifestyle. Try out going for walks, a run, swimming, or getting into weight training.
Strengthen Your Back Muscles
Although it might seem counter-intuitive initially, weight training can actually be beneficial for dealing with back pain.
By focusing your weight training on strengthening the back, rather than bulking, you can increase the range of motion of your spine, improve your muscle strength, and more.
As weight training works by gradually increasing the weights you’re exercising with, it can be a safe way to improve your back strength.
Unsure of how to get started with weight training? Read our blog here!
Remember that if your back pain is acute, injury-related, or worsening, please see a GP before starting any new exercise routine.
Ask Your PT!
Lastly, ask your PT for their recommendations for dealing with chronic back pain.
They’ll be able to recommend tailored stretches, exercises, and/or sports treatments for you. Your muscles might just need a bit of TLC, in which case a sports massage might be the thing for you…
If you’re not working with one of our PTs yet but would like to be, check out their profiles on Beckwith’s website here, and reach out when you’re next in the gym!
