Sunday 3 March 2013

Take care of your back

I NEITHER ENDORSE NOR OBJECT TO THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG. THEY ARE SIMPLY COLLECTED AT ONE PLACE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may not be able to prevent occasional back pain, but following tips will make it easier to cope. Take care of back and back will allow you to take care of your work better. You have to follow certain 'Do's and don’ts' for this purpose.

Do's

1. Make your back healthy and strong.

A)Exercise. Regular exercise that don't strain or jolt your back can increase strength and endurance in your lower back, allowing your muscles to function better. These exercises include walking, swimming or biking. Doing several simple exercises on a regular basis can help support and align your back and build muscle strength and flexibility. Prolonged bed rest isn't a good idea for back pain. Light activity speeds healing and recovery faster. If your back hurts, stop the aggravating activities but try to keep up activities that aren't painful.

B)Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight puts strain on your back muscles. If you're overweight, trimming down can prevent back pain. Eat a healthy diet. While food does not appear to be related to relieving back pain, your food intake does give you the needed nutrients to make sure all systems are working and functional. Eat healthy food which is rich in fiber. Reduce overeating and intake of sweets, oil, soft drinks, to reduce the chances of weight gain.

2. Control body movements  in everyday activities

A). Standing. Maintain a neutral pelvic position (pubic bone and the hip bone are in the same plane). If you must stand for long periods of time, alternate placing your feet on a low footstool to take some of the load off your lower back. Don’t stand with out support, lean against a wall or pillar while waiting for a cab /bus or standing in line at the bank or theater.

B). Sitting. Choose a chair with good lower back support consider placing a pillow or lumbar roll in the small of your back to maintain its normal curve. Keep your knees and hips level, feet firmly touching the floor. Chair should be with armrests, swivel base, up-down facility. For persons with back pain tilting facility is not required. In case it is in-built the same should be locked.

Correct sitting posture-
Feet firmly on the floor, with knees at hip level, back, and torso into a natural, 90° position.
Keep your elbow in, forearms should form a right angle with upper arms while using computer key-board /mouse or doing continuous writing work or reading a book.
Eye level should be at the top of computer terminal / TV screen.

C). Sleeping. Use a firm or medium firm mattress. Use pillows for support, but don't use a pillow that is high and your neck is at a severe angle.
When getting in and out of bed, get in on the side that is the most painful. First, sit on the edge of the bed. Then, without turning, lower your head and trunk onto the bed and bring your legs upon the bed. Roll onto your back, keeping your knees bent. Get out of bed by reversing the steps.
Try to sleep on your back, or on your side. If possible use contour pillow (cervical pillow) where your body is allowed to rest in its natural position and shoulder and neck is supported, muscles are relaxed and sleep is more refreshing. Use a pillow under your knees (only If back is more comfortable).

D). Lifting. Move straight up and down and not on sides. Keep your back straight and bend only at the knees Let your legs take the maximum load. Hold the object close to your body. Avoid lifting and twisting simultaneously. Find a lifting partner if the object is heavy or awkward

E). Driving. Always wear your seatbelt. Make sure your lower back is supported squarely in the seat. Badly designed or compressed car seats are a major cause of postural distortion in a car, use driving aids lumbar rolls, back support, wedges if required. On long journeys, stop regularly to move and stretch as often as you can.Use a headset with your phone.

F)Riding.  Always keep your feet on foot-rest while riding and don’t dangle as for as possible. Keep your body straight and relaxed. Don’t wear lumbar support or abdominal support belts and ride, it can lead to further muscular problems. Use only self starter (no kick starting) vehicle. On long journeys, stop regularly to move and stretch as often as you can. Use a headset with your phone.

Don’t

A).Never bend at the waist or stoop to pick up an object. Instead, lower the body to the level of the object by bending the knees. Grasp the item, hold it close to the body, and raise yourself with your legs while keeping your back straight.

B).Don’t stand with out support, lean against a wall or pillar while waiting for a cab, bus or standing in line at the bank or theater.

C). Don’t work continuously have a brake from sitting every 30 minutes, stand up, walk around, stretch forward, backward, and side to side.Similarly if your work involve continuous standing  sit in every brake and relax.

D). Avoid slouching forward or leaning back too far.

E).Avoid wearing tight cloths, any kind of belt and high heeled shoes which will cause stiffness of joints and will restrict your free movement of back.

F).Quit smoking. Smokers have diminished oxygen levels in their spinal tissues, which can hinder the healing process.

THE CONTENTS ARE FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT

No comments:

Post a Comment