Saturday, October 24, 2009

The Thwarting Of Lower Back Pain Issues

By Jesica Gibbs

Low back pain is something most of us will experience at some point during our lifetimes. We are very dependent on our spines for our mobility. We have to be ever vigilant to protect the health of our spine. We present some preventative techniques to help reduce the occurrence of low back pain. There are a number of preventative measures you can take such as diet, lifting techniques, posture, exercise and massage chair therapy to help prevent low back pain.

Diet is essential to maintaining the health of the soft tissues and bones of the spine. Many people with low back pain have very poor diets. Their diets may contain many processed foods and sugars and fast food high in fats. This can cause obesity which increases the load on the spine. Maintain a diet using fresh foods over processed foods.

Although your spine is an amazing engineering feat, it can become overloaded or misused. It is important to use proper lifting techniques and to maintain your posture. Learn to protect your back. When you lift use your legs. Your posture should be upright and not in a slouched position.

There many simple techniques to preventing low back pain. If you sit then make sure that you sit upright with your shoulders back. This takes the pressure off of your spine. If you are standing, do you slouch? Many people stand with their shoulders hunched forward. Instead put your shoulders back and your chin up. This not only improves your posture but also portrays a positive image.

Lifting techniques are very important as you are adding additional weight to your body weight. You can hurt your back lifting all sorts of objects. Most people just pick up items by bending over using their back to pick them up. The strongest muscles of the body are the leg muscles. Use your legs do the lifting even of lighter items. To use your legs you must bend your knees. Then just stand up with the object keeping your back straight.

Prevent low back pain by performing periodic exercise. A proper regimen of exercises helps improve the core muscles, strengthens the back and improves flexibility. All of these benefits will help to decrease the risk of developing low back pain. Strong and flexible muscles protect the spinal column, decrease the risk of a herniated disc and improve your overall appearance.

Massage chair therapy is used extensively to restore flexibility in the lower back muscles. There are a variety of massage techniques that are used to stimulate the muscles of the lumbar area. Slight stretching of the soft tissue areas is important for them to maintain their elasticity. Massage chairs use techniques such as kneading, vibration, compression and tapping to soothe and relieve the sore muscle areas.

Another important preventative health tip for your spine is your sleeping position. Most people sleep between seven and eight hours a night. Improper sleeping positions can put stress on different parts of the spine and neck. It is better to sleep on your back than on your stomach. If you sleep on your side you may want to consider using a pillow to put between your knees. This will help to straighten your spine while you sleep. You can also try rolling up a small towel and inserting it in the lumbar area to make it more comfortable.

Prevention starts with the basics. Start with your diet, exercise, sitting and standing, lifting techniques, massage chair therapy and your sleeping position. Check with your medical professional for further information in these areas. Prevention of low back pain is an ongoing process. A massage chair can be an important partner to help you maintain your spine in the best health possible.

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