Introduction

If you’re experiencing low back pain, you are not alone. In fact, Americans spend over $50 billion each year on treatments for low back pain, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). With so much money spent to combat this condition, it’s surprising that Americans still experience low back pain at such an alarming rate. The reason may be that people are relying on techniques that don’t really work. For example, the ACA states that bed rest is actually one of the worst things you can do for low back pain because it leads to muscle deconditioning and delays healing. However, there are a number of simple steps you can take your home to help deal with your low back pain without taking time off from work or even visiting your doctor:

Maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight can help you manage your back pain. In fact, losing just 10 pounds can make a difference in how you feel and reduce your risk of future problems.

But how much do you need to lose? It depends on your current weight and whether or not you have other health conditions that contribute to back pain. For example, if you’re overweight or obese with osteoarthritis (a common cause of low back pain), losing even just 5% of your body weight may ease symptoms; for those who don’t have any issues with their joints, the cut-off may be about 20%.

To see an improvement in how well your body functions overall—and specifically in its ability to protect itself from injury—it’s necessary for most people with low back pain to lose more than 5% of their starting weight. If this is the case for you, then it’s important that once you reach that goal and start maintaining at that new level by continuing healthy eating habits (more on those below) and getting regular exercise (see tip #6).

Quit smoking

Smoking is bad for your health.

As a smoker, you may have already known that smoking is bad for your health. But did you know that it’s also bad for your back? There are so many ways smoking can negatively impact back pain — here are just a few:

• Smoking damages the spine and discs in the low back, which can lead to degenerative changes and deterioration of the joints in this area over time. This results in more wear and tear on the joints, which ultimately causes stiffness and pain.
• Cigarettes contain nicotine (a toxic chemical), carbon monoxide (which reduces oxygen supply), ammonia (which irritates mucous membranes) and tar (which contains carcinogens). When these chemicals get into our bodies from inhaling cigarette smoke as well as second-hand smoke exposure can negatively impact our health on multiple levels including increasing risk factors for cardiovascular disease.- The list goes on…

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and it can help reduce the risk of low back pain.

These exercises focus on strengthening the core muscles in your abdomen, buttocks and lower back. The core muscles are involved in almost every activity you do, so they play a key role in keeping your back strong and flexible.

• Lie on your back with knees bent; feet flat on floor or raised on foam roll if needed for comfort
• Place hands behind head or under neck with elbows out to sides; lift upper body off floor as far as comfortable (keep shoulders relaxed)
• Slowly lower back down until arms are straight without letting head touch ground

Maintain good posture

Good posture is a habit and can be practiced at any time, anywhere.

• Keep your back straight when you are sitting or standing with your shoulders relaxed.
• Lift heavy objects using both legs and hips, not just your back or arm muscles.
• Use an ergonomic chair that provides good lumbar support, especially if your job requires long periods of sitting at a desk or computer (more than two hours per day).

Sleep in the right position

Sleep in the right position.

While resting is important for all of us, it’s especially key when you have low back pain. Make sure to sleep on a firm mattress and use pillows to support your head and neck, hips and knees, legs, arms, lower back and shoulders (if possible). The goal is to maintain proper alignment throughout the night so that you wake up feeling refreshed with no pain!

Consider complementary therapies

• Acupuncture.
• Massage.
• Yoga.
• Chiropractic manipulation (spinal adjustments).
• Acupressure and acupuncture (using pressure points in your body to relieve pain).
• Tai chi (a slow, gentle Chinese exercise that focuses on balance and breathing while moving through a series of postures or movements).
• Reflexology (massaging different parts of the foot to relieve pain in other parts of the body).
• Aromatherapy using essential oils such as lavender oil or chamomile tea bags that can be heated up soothes muscle tension in your low back area. You can also try using a hot bath with Epsom salts to relax tight muscles or drinking warm lemon water first thing every morning before you get out of bed will help flush toxins from the body which helps ease inflammation from back pain as well as other health issues such as heartburn, gas pains and bloating too!

Don’t wear high heels

Don’t wear high heels. Your body is not designed to stand on a block of wood, and the higher that block of wood is, the worse things are going to be for your low back and hips. High heels force your body into an unnatural position, which can cause pain in your calves and hips as well as back pain.

Use a back brace for heavy lifting or other aggravating activities

• If you have to lift heavy objects, use a back brace.
• Wear the back brace as long as you are doing the activity that is causing pain.

Choose a chair that supports your back

Choose a chair that supports your back. If you’re going to sit for a long time, make sure the chair is comfortable. You want one that has good lumbar support and is made of a durable material like leather or fabric.

Don’t slump when sitting

• Sitting properly can help you avoid low back pain and keep your spine healthy.
• Slumping when sitting puts pressure on your lower back, which can cause pain and other health problems.
• Sit up straight or use a lumbar roll to support the curve of your lower back while sitting.

You can take control of low back pain by adopting some basic habits.

There are many things you can do to manage low back pain and prevent it from getting worse. These 10 tips will help you better understand how to care for your back in the long term:

• Exercise regularly. Research suggests that regular physical activity can help prevent episodes of acute low back pain, as well as reduce their duration when they occur.
• Stay hydrated with water or other non-caffeinated beverages that don’t create extra pressure on your already sensitive spine.
• Maintain a healthy weight by eating well and exercising regularly (see above). If you’re overweight, losing just 5% of your body weight could decrease your risk of developing chronic back problems by up to 50%.
• Get enough sleep every night—about 7 hours is ideal for most adults—and avoid napping during the day if possible. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning so that your body clock stays consistent throughout the week.”

Conclusion

There are many ways to manage the pain of low back pain, and these tips can help you get started. While some of these suggestions may seem obvious, others require more time and effort. You do not have to follow all of them; in fact, starting with one or two techniques that make sense for your lifestyle is a good idea. There are also other treatments available, including medication and surgery (if needed)—talk with your doctor about what might be right for you. We hope that by following our advice above your back will feel better soon!