Managing Low Back Pain: Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle

The sun is shining and the day is going great — until you pick something up incorrectly and that twinge of pain hits your lower back. You might stretch and feel better or deal with lower back pain for days after tweaking it. Knowing how to manage low back pain can often mean the difference between recovering in a day or two or being out of commission for weeks. 

Some of the causes of lower back pain are:

• Lifting heavy items
• Repeating the same motion endlessly
• Past injuries
• Sudden movements that create a sprain
• Pinched nerves
• Poor posture
• Pregnancy
• Degenerative disc disease
• Arthritis
• Herniated discs
• Referred pain from organs

Contributing factors can be a sedentary lifestyle, extra weight, and tumors. If you’ve ever experienced lower back pain, you know managing it is a long-term proposition filled with numerous lifestyle changes to prevent throwing your back out again.

Strategies for Managing Low Back Pain

Lower back pain affects millions of people globally. There are many causes of low back pain. Understanding the source of your symptoms can help you find which lifestyle changes for back pain might work best for you. 

1. Find the Source of Your Low Back Pain

A visit to your healthcare provider should be your first stop in figuring out the root cause of your back pain. Some standard tests include X-rays, MRIs, and electromyography.

Be prepared to answer questions about the exact location of your pain, whether certain activities worsen your condition, and whether you have preexisting health issues, such as spinal stenosis or arthritis, that might play a contributing factor. Is the pain a recurring injury that keeps flaring up or something new?

Low back pain systems can range from mild to highly debilitating, depending on your condition and how irritated your back is. Embracing tips for preventing low back pain at work and home is crucial to ending the cycle of healing and injury. 

2. Discuss Medication

You may be reluctant to take medicines, but in extreme cases, temporarily using muscle relaxers could alleviate symptoms enough for you to start stretching or physical therapy. Whether you take painkillers is something you should discuss in-depth with your doctor and make the decision that’s best for you. Many people worry they’ll become addicted and are reluctant to take anything more than acetaminophen or ibuprofen. 

3. Start Exercises for Back Pain

Between 75% and 80% of people experience lower back pain, but 8% have chronic pain that lingers longer than 12 weeks and often flares up again. Working alongside a medical professional can reduce the risk of recurring flare-ups. Simple changes, such as stretching for lower back pain and building your core muscles, can prevent some lower back pain attacks. 

Physical therapy for back pain typically incorporates soft-tissue mobilization by a trained professional. They might work with the joints to relieve pressure on your spine or offer massage to improve mobility. The best exercises for chronic low back pain relief include a mix of gentle stretches, such as the child’s pose or cobra stretch. Your PT might also ask you to try bridges to strengthen your lower back. 

Swimming is low-impact and gentle on the lower back, as the water makes you more buoyant and reduces stress on already-strained muscles and joints.  

4. Adopt Proper Posture

Many people work at their computers and fail to sit up straight. This compresses the spine, and lack of exercise leads to weaker muscles supporting the core. Sitting up straight is a simple change that may prevent low back pain. Choose an ergonomic chair that helps you maintain good posture.

You can also invest in a standing desk to avoid sitting for hours. Changing positions from time to time can reduce the stress on your spine. 

Good posture includes how you rest your spine at night. You should reduce stress by placing your spine in a neutral position. Side sleepers should pull their legs toward their chests and put a pillow between their knees to take pressure off the spine, and back sleepers should place one under their knees and neck. 

5. Choose Anti-Inflammatory Foods

In some cases, old injuries or arthritis can drive inflammation in the lower back and contribute to pain. Choosing foods that reduce inflammation can help you manage low back pain, such as items that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Consider eating more nuts, berries, citrus fruits, carrots, and beans. 

6. Lift With Your Legs

Lifting heavy items with your leg muscles is old advice, but it still bears repeating. It’s easy to forget and bend at the waist to pick things up. However, you set yourself up for injury by bending your spine over before raising something. 

Instead, squat, grab the item, and stand straight up, keeping your back vertical. Although lifting with your legs protects your back, you should avoid picking up anything too heavy. Instead, hire someone to help or find a different way to move the item, such as on a furniture dolly. 

Additional Measures to Protect Your Lower Back

Once you’ve experienced lower back pain, you’ll have to be cautious not to invite the problem to visit again. Although these tips work best to alleviate issues, consider other home remedies such as supplements, gentle massages, rotating hot and cold therapy, and topical creams. Be aware of the things that trigger a back spasm and avoid them. With a few adjustments, most people can avoid intense lower back pain.