by Anishametra Saravanan
*Crack* *sound of chair swiveling* *Crack*
If you’ve ever walked past my work desk, these are common sounds your ears would be blessed with as I swivel in my chair, trying to alleviate the discomfort in my lumbar region. As someone who has had their fair share of lower back problems, I know how crippling it can be to adapt to pain and I truly believe that prevention is better than cure. So, if you’re wondering what you could do to improve your situation, don’t worry ’cause we’ve got your back.
1. Adjust your posture
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of “back” talk, we need to address the elephant in the room. Posture is incredibly important when it comes down to preventing back pain. It’s good to have a few reminders to check in with how you’re seated throughout the day in order to avoid any prolonged slouching. Ensuring proper posture can greatly reduce muscular stress as well as neck and shoulder tension.
2. Be mindful while lifting
We’re pretty sure you’ve heard at least one story of a person injuring their back while attempting to lift with poor posture. While we know it’s impossible to have the perfect lifting form in check, it’s good to equip yourself with adequate knowledge of lifting properly as it can reduce your chances of hurting yourself.
A few things to keep in mind before attempting to lift; bend your knees, engage your core muscles, avoid awkward postures and if the load is too heavy, consider seeking help to lift it.
Illustration by Einat Bonshtein
3. Light stretches
If you’re looking at a long-term solution to help you alleviate pain, light stretches are a great way to relieve muscle tightness in your lower back. Incorporating a few of these light stretches into your everyday routine could help you reduce muscle tension and in turn, build some back strength.
4. Get moving and listen to your body
If you’ve found yourself sitting at a desk for an hour without looking up and having long sessions of inactivity, it’s high time you get your body moving. An activity as simple as standing up and going on a short walk to the pantry for a glass of water could make a difference to how you’re feeling physically. Applications such as Stretchly and Big Stretch Reminder are extremely useful when it comes to setting up reminders for you to get moving throughout your workday. Ultimately, you would be the best judge of how your body feels at any given moment and listening to it is key to preventing a bad back.
Incorporating all these tips may be daunting but it’s good to start small and build your way up. It’s also important to note the key to managing back pain is consistency. Other factors such as having enough rest, building a strong core, staying hydrated and adopting an anti-inflammatory diet can go a long way. By building these habits, you’ll be able to enjoy a painless (or much rather manageable) back in the long run and hopefully, keep the pain at bay.
Note: If your back pain/discomfort continues, please consult a physician for medical advice. Click here to check out Pfizer’s guide on low back pain management.
Sources:
Ergonomyx
Spine-health
Health Line
Gecko & Fly
