Lots of people suffer from back pain.   One study found that 62% of golfers suffer from lower back pain and one third of adults had back pain severe enough to warrant a visit to the doctor in the last five years.   And if those statistics are not enough to make you think about your back, how about the financial impact, 30-40% of work absences are due to back pain and it is estimated that 50 billion dollars is spent each year in the pursuit of ending back pain.

Back pain can affect anyone so it is in your best interest to evaluate your risk and work on prevention even if you have never suffered from back pain.   First, and I really can’t say this enough, if you suffer from any kind of pain, visit your doctor.  It is his job to diagnose you and help you find a course of treatment.  So let him do that for you by making an appointment.   There are many causes of back pain, from disc issues to muscle weakness or tightness to issues with nerves or the spinal cord itself.  So for people currently suffering from pain, visit your doctor to find out, you could be doing more harm if you put it off.

If you are not currently suffering from back pain, it does not mean you are off the hook.    Do you ever hear stories of people whose “back went out” doing the most mundane tasks such as picking up their children or getting out of a car?   Well those people are not necessarily more prone to injury than anyone else.   Maintaining a healthy back is something that people should look at their whole life, not just when they injure it or when they are in pain.

Some really basic ways to help keep your back healthy:

• learn to lift objects the proper way. This advice goes for a variety of objects from light to heavy as well as oversized objects and placing items on a high shelf.   The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has a great chart on how to lift on their website (orthoinfo.org)
• Wear flat shoes. Yes, high heel lovers, those shoes are bad for your back.  A heel lower than 1 inch is best.
• If you sit for extended periods of time, get up and stretch and walk around often and learn how to sit. In the car, this means not having to lean forward to reach the controls and at work, it means adjusting your seat or putting your feet up to have your knees slightly higher than your hips.  And make sure your back is supported by your chair.
• Review your sleeping habits as well as your mattress and pillow. Sleeping on your stomach or back is not as good as side sleeping for back support.
• If you are overweight, lose the weight. You are placing undue pressure on your back not to mention your hips, knees and ankles.

There are also a lot of exercise options for strengthening your back from swimming to Pilates to Yoga to Strength training.  So pick one that you like or ask a Certified Personal Trainer to design a custom program for your back conditioning.  I hope this helps you prevent back pain.