1. Posture: Practice good posture.  It takes practice, think before you stand, especially when lifting.  While standing, try to balance body weight on both feet with shoulders pulled slightly back.  Your chest may feel forward - ears, shoulders and hips should be in line with each other.

2. Exercises: A habit of regular exercise like walking or simple stretches can improve your posture and reduce back pain.  Core work like sit-ups and leg lifts are a great way to improve posture and ease[amazon-product text="low back pain" type="text"]1559275871[/amazon-product] as weak abdominal muscles contribute significantly to poor posture which is often the root cause of low back pain.

3. Lift Safe: Never attempt to lift anything too heavy for you, 40 pounds or more is heavy for most.  Always lift with your back straight and knees bent, [amazon-product text="twisting and lifting" type="text"]0939616572[/amazon-product] uses the Quadratus Lumborum muscle which many Massage Therapists would agree is often the leader in low back pain.

4. Drink Water: Drinking at least six 8-ounce glasses of water per day helps keep the body fluid.  Your body is more than half water (you’ve heard it stated every other way) Your muscles like water, your blood vessels like water,  nearly every system in your body is dependent on it. DRINK WATER.  Water enhances the height of intervertebral disks, thereby keeping them the healthy shock absorbers they are.  Think of it as the Tin Man’s oil- you don’t want to be dependent on someone to give you oil DRINK WATER.

5. Make Tools Easy to Reach : Try to avoid over-reaching while working especially in awkward positions where you are likely to avoid getting up, like under the sink, in the garage, or any workspace.   Having the tools you need handy will help you to avoid over-reaching and the probable muscle pull that comes after.

6. Maintain a Healthy Weight: Maintaining a healthy weight prevents all kinds of discomfort. Eating a healthy diet with enough calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D promotes bone growth.

7. Interrupt Long Periods of Sitting: If you have a job where you are required to sit for long periods of time, get up from your chair often, at least every 45 min or so.  Especially professionals reliant on their computer(which is an ever-increasing number), a few of the wonderful people who have written me testimonials may have never met me if only they had gotten up off their chairs now and again.

8. Sleeping Posture: Sleeping habits also contribute to back pain.  Practice sleeping on your side and switch it up now and again.  No more fighting over who controls the alarm clock, just alternate, say one to two months at a stretch - get it?

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Tags: back muscles, cause of low back pain, chicopee massage therapist, good posture, low back pain relief, massage therapists, muscle pull, pain, quadratus lumborum muscle

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008 at 9:08 am and is filed under Featured, Pain Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.