Back Pain Prevention

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At the Florida Hospital Celebration Health Spine Center, we know that simple changes to your lifestyle can go a long way in preventing back pain. Often, back pain is caused by factors that are easily preventable. If you follow these simple guidelines, the chance of incurring a serious back or neck injury may be greatly reduced.

Watch your posture. One of the best ways to prevent back pain is to maintain good posture while standing or sitting. This automatically puts your spine into proper alignment and reduces stress and strain on the supporting muscles.

Get some exercise. Be sure you do a combination of strengthening and stretching exercises that focus on the muscles in your back, abdomen and buttocks.

Lose the excess weight. Carrying excess weight, especially in the abdominal region, can put a lot of strain on your back. Adopt a sensible diet supported by exercise.

Sleep well. Almost a third of your life is spent in bed. Be sure the mattress is of the right firmness for you. If your mattress is old, you should consider replacing it for optimal support. Over time the springs and support system do wear out; a standard mattress lasts between 5 & 7 years.

Eat right. Maintaining a good diet can prevent back pain. The right nutrients are essential to good health. Your muscles and bones need them to maintain their strength, flexibility and overall wellness.

Lift properly. Lifting objects puts a tremendous strain on your back. Be sure that you let your legs do the work and keep your back straight. Never bend at the waist as you lift and try to keep the object you?re lifting as close to the body as possible.

Wear proper shoes. Those high heels may look fabulous, but they may be causing your back pain too. Invest in the right footwear and, if you do wear heels, restrict their use to a couple of hours instead of wearing them all day.

Stop smoking. Surprisingly, smoking can contribute to back pain. It causes the vessels to constrict, reducing the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the back muscles and joints, which causes them to become weaker over time.

Move around. Try not to stand in the same position all the time. This can put tremendous strain on your back. Instead, it?s best to move around in order to keep your back muscles from becoming stiff.

Revisit your work area. Your work area should be as ergonomic as possible. Repetitive motions can also place a lot of stress and strain on the body and cause back and neck injury.

See your doctor. Prevention is indeed the best medicine and annual visits to your doctor can help you spot trouble before it begins. If you have any nagging back, neck, or spine issues, be sure to discuss these with your doctor during the exam.

Start today!

If this ?to do? list looks daunting, don?t let it be! Start with something simple, such as a few back exercises. Once this becomes part of your normal routine, tackle the next item on the list and continue on. If you need help, the back and neck pain experts at the Florida Hospital Celebration Health Spine Center will be happy to offer advice about how to have a healthier back, neck and spine through a combination of exercise, weight management, proper lifting and motion techniques, and lifestyle changes.