6 Tips to Prevent Back Pain

Back pain can be the result of trauma, such as a fall or a car accident. But most often back pain is the result of an everyday activity done incorrectly — activities as common as twisting to reach or lift an object, sitting at a computer in the same position for hours, bending over to vacuum, and carrying shopping bags. The good news is that back pain prevention isn't all that difficult, often requiring just a few adjustments that will soon become second nature.

Here are six simple but effective back pain prevention tips.

1. Exercise. One of the most important things you can do for back pain prevention is to get up and get moving. Why does exercise prevent back pain? Muscles are meant to move, says Robin Lustig, DC, a chiropractor at New Jersey Total Health Center in Lodi and Pompton Plains, N.J. If you aren't in good shape, you're more likely to hurt your back and feel pain when you do even simple movements, such as lifting your child from his crib. "Also, exercise helps keep your joints fluid," Dr. Lustig says. Another reason exercise prevents back pain is that exercise helps you keep your weight down — being overweight, especially around your stomach, can put added strain on your back.
2. Eat right. "If you maintain good eating habits, you not only will maintain a healthy weight, but you also will not put unnecessary stress on your body," Lustig says. A steady diet of excessively spicy or fast food can strain your nervous system, which is going to create back problems, she adds. Conversely, a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy products, and whole grains will keep your digestive tract on track. "If your intestines are working and functioning properly, that will maintain your spine because your inside and your outside relate to one another," Lustig says. "I have found that many people who come in complaining of low back pain also have irritated bowels."
3. Sleep sideways. You don't want to sleep flat on your back. The best position for sleeping is on your side. If you must sleep on your stomach, put a pillow under your lower abdomen to help take stress off your back. Having a supportive mattress and pillow for your head are vital as well. "Getting enough, restful sleep is always an important part of maintaining good health," Lustig says. Also, if you exercise during the day, you sleep better at night.
4. Maintain proper posture. "People sitting at their computer for seven or eight hours a day is keeping me in business," says Lustig. "People slouch over their computers and their telephones when they're texting, and they don't realize the damage they're doing to their backs and the pain they could be causing." Be sure to work at an ergonomically correct workstation, both at the office and at home, and break up long periods in front of the computer with stretching exercises. If you practice good posture, you will maintain the natural curves of your back and help keep it strong.
5. Reduce stress. You probably don't realize how much stress can impact your back health. Stress causes you to tense your muscles, and constant tension of this kind can cause back pain. Any activity that helps you reduce stress will help prevent back pain, Lustig says. Stress reduction activities can include yoga, meditation, biofeedback, deep breathing, tai chi, and guided imagery.
6. Quit smoking. It's well known that smoking raises your risk for heart disease and cancer, including lung and colon cancers, but most people don't realize that smoking also can be a cause of persistent back pain. Research also shows smoking can make existing back pain worse. It's not entirely clear how smoking affects back health, but one possibility is that it narrows blood vessels. Narrowed blood vessels result in less oxygen and nutrients reaching the spine and, in turn, it becomes more susceptible to injury and slower to heal.

You can reduce your risk for back pain with simple lifestyle changes. However, if you should experience back pain, don't ignore it. It could be a sign of a more serious condition. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and what you should do to find and treat the cause.