Back pain is something we all experience one way or another. It’s something we don’t necessarily think about until it strikes. Whether it’s caused by improperly lifting or by sitting stationary too long, lower back pain can impair us from doing normal, everyday tasks. The good news? You can take steps to prevent lower back pain from striking at your most vulnerable moments.
5 Preventative Tips for Lower Back Pain
Whether you’re reducing your risk of lower back pain or trying to prevent it from getting worse, these tips will help you find relief, and fast. So while you’re searching for lower back pain relief in Denver, practice these tips daily.
- Good posture is exceptionally important. Standing up straight keeps your weight evenly distributed between your toes and heels. If you’re at a computer all day, practice sitting at a 90° angle and keeping your computer screen at eye level for good posture.
- Don’t carry a heavy load. Bags, backpacks, and purses should all weigh less than 10% of your body weight.
- Exercise is key to decreasing lower back pain. Swimming, walking, and biking are all considered vigorous activities that keep your body healthy and strong.
- Rest and relaxation are essential. You know the importance of adequate sleep. Equally as important is having a good mattress and pillows that naturally support your spinal alignment.
- Regular chiropractic visits are important for lower back pain relief. Find a reputable chiropractor in Denver that specializes in more than just chiropractic care.
The Anatomy of the Back
When you’re looking for lower back pain relief in Denver, it’s wise to have an understanding of the back’s anatomy, so it makes sense to you. Your entire back is composed of muscles that protect your organs and bones. Your lower back, which is your lumbar spine, has a slight curve called lordosis. This natural inward curve balances the weight of your head atop your spine while reducing stresses in the lower spine. It also evenly distributes the weight from your upper and lower extremities. The lower back contains five vertebral bones, stacked with discs between them. Specialized joints are connected to these bones, while the lumbar spine connects to the thoracic spine above and connects to the hips below. For the most part, everyone has the same structure in their lower back. Although the body can change overtime due to the influence of lifestyle and diet, the anatomical structures in everyone remain the same for the vertebrae, facet joints, and discs.
The Discs – Five intervertebral discs are fixated between the vertebral bodies, and provide shock absorbing cushions that protect the vertebrae during movements of the spine.
The Vertebrae – You may have noticed that the lumbar vertebrae are labeled l1 to l5. This reflects the amount of weight that your spine is able to carry. The vertebrae also protect important nervous system tissues.
Facet Joints – These joints are flexible, especially with side to side movements. The upper lumbar vertebrae are composed of facets similar to the thoracic facet joints. These joints, along with the cartilage that lines them, allow swift and easy back and forth spinal movements.
Your lower back also has five pairs of lumbar spinal nerves. Again, when you’re looking for back pain relief in Denver, you might be tempted to buy an over the counter product that only deals with the pain aspect of the problem. Without getting into too much detail, the nerves in your lower back are widespread and contribute to a lot of undiagnosed back pain.
Lower back pain can happen to the best of us. But, it doesn’t have to, and it doesn’t have to stay! At Peak Health Partners, we specialize in laser therapy, functional medicine, kinesio taping and more for lower back pain relief in Denver. Contact our expert doctors today!