Preventing Lower Back Back

Almost everyone is susceptible to low back pain and indeed, may well develop back pain at some stage in their life no matter how well they look after their body.

The wear and tear sustained by the spine by just going through the motions of everyday living is inevitable. Having said that, if you took to your bed for life in an effort to protect your body from wear and tear, you would actually cause it more damage because the body is designed to take impact. It’s built in shock absorbers are there to protect its structures. The bones and muscles actually become stronger when they are subjected to forces, so the activities you do in your daily life are likely to do more to protect your body than damage it.

This reminds me of the adage often used by people to excuse their actions ‘well you may well be run over by a bus tomorrow’. My counter to this is ’yes, but you still look before you step into the road, don’t you?’

Just because it is very likely that at some stage you will suffer low back pain it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take measures to protect yourself!

Exercise regularly and stretch often, daily stretching is valuable in keeping the body supple and flexible. Exercise keeps the muscles strong and supportive and maintains the integrity of the skeleton. Eat healthily and maintain a moderate weight for your height. Being overweight puts enormous strain on the body’s structures and eventually causes irreparable damage. Have regular massage. This will help to keep the muscles in good condition and ease out any stresses and strains before they become a problem. Observe how you perform your daily functions, we cannot make allowance for the genetic anomalies of our anatomy. What we can do however, is take care how we lift, sit, stand, carry loads for example and give our spine the best protection we can.

At my massage practice in Ely, Cambs I can give you more advice specific to you on caring for your back’s health.