Recognizing Your Habits
When injury or surgery isn’t a reason for your back pain, it’s beneficial to assess your daily habits as well as your general health. Sometimes the underlying reason for your discomfort can be right in front you. However, you need to look at your health and lifestyle objectively so you don’t miss anything.
Prevention Tips
First, consider your weight. If you have gained 10 to 20 pounds in the last few months, this could be adding more pressure on your back. Obesity can cause various health problems, and sometimes dropping a few pounds can positively affect your posture as well as other facets of your physical condition such as your blood pressure. You can change your bad eating or exercising habits by starting small. For example, try replacing the junk food that you crave with sweet fruits such as berries, apples, mangos, etc. When mangos are ripe, they almost taste similar to cotton candy.
Smoking has been shown to negatively affect the body’s fusion and healing abilities, so quitting can protect important processes in your body. Now there are a variety of ways to stop smoking including quitting cold turkey, hypnosis, acupuncture and prescription medications such as Chantix.
Other ways to prevent back pain include eating a balanced diet, sitting and standing properly, wearing a seatbelt, using proper sports equipment and lifting heavy objects safely (lift from your legs and not your waist).