It’s an unfortunate fact of life that you’re most likely going to go through a bout of back pain in your life. Statistics show that about 80 percent of us have had at least one bout. There are the obvious routes that you can take to solve your pain that are historically and statistically proven to be the best solutions for back pain, such as beginning your course of Physical Therapy right away. But sometimes, back pain sufferers struggle to find solutions when back pain creeps in during their everyday life.
For these situations, I have my top 3 smart moves for your back pain. These easy, common sense tips can significantly help you reduce the pain you feel during the week when you’re not at your Physical Therapy appointment, or when getting to your appointment just might not be possible.
Sit Toward The Front Of Your Chair
Have you ever found yourself slouching in your office chair? We all do this, most of the time without even really realizing it. I previously wrote a blog on back pain and office chairs, detailing ergonomics and how to sit in your chair. But sometimes, just saying “assume the correct posture” isn’t enough. For a quick tip, try sitting toward the front of your seat. What you’ll find is that in doing so, you’ll force yourself to sit tall and use your back muscles while creating the natural curve in your lower back.
Sleep On Your Back Or Side
In the future, I’m looking to write a more extensive blog on back pain and sleep positions. But for a quick tip to relieve back pain while sleeping, try sleeping on your back, but put a pillow under your knees. If you would rather sleep on your side, draw your legs up slightly and place a pillow in between your legs
Lift Wisely
Improper lifting technique, whether in the gym or at home, has been a big cause of back pain for many of our patients lately, so it’s definitely something to go over. Make sure that you get close to the object, bend at your knees, and life with your legs. If you find that you’re not bending your knees to lift an object and are just bending over with your back, STOP IMMEDIATELY AND START OVER. To hold the object after the initial lift, keep it close to your body with your knees slightly bent.
As I’ve always stated, Physical Therapy will definitely help you get rid of your back pain. But if you’re not taking care of yourself outside of my office as well, then you’re not going to recover as fast as you’d like. It takes a combination of great Physical Therapy care and smart living outside of the Physical Therapy office. I’m sure that if you keep these tips in mind, your back pain will be gone in no time!
Dr. James Pumarada is a licensed Physical Therapist with over 18+ years of experience. He is a Sports Therapy Certified therapist, focusing on treating and training runners of all levels, and is a certified Vestibular therapist, specializing in the treatment of all dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance issues.
He is the co-owner of Complete Physical Rehabilitation, a Physical Therapy practice based in Elizabeth and Jersey City, NJ.
