étirement dos

Turn your back on pain

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It is often the spine that absorbs the shocks of hectic living, daily activities and stress, causing many people to suffer from back pain.

Did you know that back pain, especially lower back pain, is one of the most common causes of body pain?

Today, we’re taking the time to talk about this very common pain. Here are some facts*:

  • 94% of people experience back pain.
  • 82% of people experience lower back pain.
  • Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
  • Sharp pain, lasting less than three months, is the most common type of back pain.

There is a saying that “prevention is better than cure”, granted, this is not always true, but we still try to put the odds in our favor. Here are some good habits to adopt to prevent back pain:

  1. Sleep well: choose a firm mattress, and opt for a sleeping position on your back with a pillow under your knees or sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees.
  2. Stay upright: easier said than done. During the day, we tend to forget and bend forward more, but it is very important to maintain a good posture, shoulders up, back straight.
  3. Adjust your workstation: Whether you work from home or in the office, your workstation should be adapted to you. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice on how to set up your workstation in an ergonomic way.
  4. Stay active: it’s no surprise that physical activity is very important to maintain physical and psychological well-being. So make sure you exercise regularly within your limits. A short walk every day can do a lot of good, as can swimming, if you have the opportunity to do so.
  5. Stretch regularly: Stretching has many benefits. Here are the most important ones: they improve posture, muscle and joint flexibility, they reduce tension and stress… Try it and you will know how to draw your own conclusions.

Of course, if the pain is well established and has persisted for a few days or is too intense, we don’t try to play doctor and we go see a doctor quickly. Only he can examine our back, recommend the right specialists to determine the cause of the pain and suggest what to do to relieve the pain.

*Source : Voltaren