Back Pain has become an epidemic in our modern society. In my professional opinion this has a lot to do with the modern sedentary lifestyle.
Many people go to work and work seated at a computer all day long, then they come home tired and relax on the couch for the evening. All of the above serves to weaken the core muscles of your body, the muscles which are responsible for keeping your back strong.
A Weak Core is the Root of the Problem.
So you are going through your life with a core that is getting progressively weaker as the months and even years go by. Then suddenly out of nowhere, while you are bending to do some gardening, or turning quickly to lift something up; or bending down to retrieve something off the floor, and bang, your back seizes! Does this sound familiar?
The incident may seem like it was the cause of the problem, however, the scene had been set with the months or years of weakening of the core muscles.
So How Do You Prevent Back Pain?
Well Prevention is Better than Cure, so here are my top 5 tips to maintain a healthy back;
Good Posture; Posture is so Important, and with simple modifications and retraining your body to Sit, Stand and Lift correctly this can have a dramatic effect on maintaining the health of your spine and your skeletal system as a whole.
Strengthen Your Core; The Next step to keep you back strong as you progress through life, is to make sure that you exercise to keep your core muscles strong.
Stay Flexible; I am sure you have heard the expression, “Use it, or Lose It!” Well this is true in Trumps when it comes to your Flexibility. Take up Yoga or Pilates to stay flexible.
Invest in Orthotics ; That’s right support from the ground up is paramount to your health. I have witnessed flat feet cause a multitude of aches and pain, such as Foot Pain, Knee Pain, Hip Pain, and Back Pain to name a few. A good 3 way arch support orthotic will support your body alignment from the ground up, whether you have flat feet or not!
Regular McTimoney Chiropractic Treatment; Regular McTimoney Chiropractic, will help you to maintain the correct alignment of your body and your spine, helping you to remain pain free so that you can enjoy your life.
What to do when Back Pain Occurs.
Stop all strenuous activity.
Ice the affected area as soon as possible, at least 3 times per day for 15 minutes each time.
Arrange your McTimoney Chiropractic Treatment to make sure that your spinal alignment is correct as you heal.
Remember healing is a process not an event. Normally a course of 4 to 6 treatments is required to alleviate a long standing problem, as often back pain is also accompanied by soft tissue damage, which can take longer to heal, approximately 2 – 6 weeks depending on the soft tissue damage.
Intense Pain Attend Your GP; However, if you can’t move and are in constant unremitting pain, the best option is to consult your GP/Doctor for some pain management and or diagnostics to ensure that there is no fracture or prolapsed disc.
I hope you found this article helpful, if you would like to book an appointment for a consultation you can contact the Clinic on 087-1904307