Five helpful hints to avoid back pain

1.            Maintain an active lifestyle.  Exercise and movement are essential components to maintaining soft tissue and joint health.  Keeping muscles in shape allows them to perform correctly for a longer period of time.  Strive for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day.

2.            Beware of your posture.  Poor posture is one of the major causes of back pain for both active and sedentary workers.  It leads to over strain of postural muscles which causes tight, fatigued and sore muscles.  Slouching increases the load and stress placed on the spinal discs throughout the spine.

3.            Maintain proper lifting techniques when lifting both heavy and light objects.  Poor lifting mechanics contribute to numerous disc injuries each year.  Be smart about what and how you lift.  Bend at your hips and knees and maintain an upright (straight) spinal posture.

4.            Change positions frequently.  Sitting or standing for an extended period of time can cause and contribute to back pain.  It can lead to repetitive strain injuries.  Changing positions is essential for reducing strain and over stretching of muscles, ligaments, tendons and spinal discs.  Do not sit or stand for more than 30 minutes without changing your position.

5.            Develop healthy habits.  Smoking, obesity and poor diet can contribute to numerous health problems; one of those is back pain.  These can lead to toxicity and an increase in systemic inflammation in the body.  An increase in systemic inflammation contributes to joint and muscle pain, and a slower recovery from injuries and illness.