According to News Medical, an average of 2.5 million people experience back pain every day in the UK. Though these findings go back to a research that was conducted in 2018, one can only assume these statistics are increasing since back pains are often overlooked.
The first step to raise awareness on this topic is to identify the habits that are to blame for back pains. This is something that, to some, may seem minor but could lead to severe consequences. It is also important to understand that back pains are not discriminatory of age. Quite on the contrary, the precautions we take during our youthful years is what will impact the health of our back in future.
So, let’s talk about some lifestyle habits we might not know are the leading cause to back pain:
· Standing or sitting for a prolonged period of time
· Slouching
· Bad posture
· Lifting heavy objects whilst putting weight on wrong parts of the body
· Smoking
· Lack of exercise
· Wearing high heels
· Lack of sleep
· Sleeping conditions
The good news is that there are habits you can incorporate to reduce and manage this:
· Practice good posture
· Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillow
· Practice correct manual handling and avoid lifting heavy
· Taking breaks from strenuous activities
· Limiting the amount of tobacco your body intakes
· Exercising the core
· Increasing calcium and vitamin D intake
· Stretching the body
BackCare is a charity that focuses on the health and prevention of back pain. To read more on this topic, or to seek help visit their website https://backcare.org.uk/.
There is also equipment such as back correctors which can be great investments and have been proven to help posture, which consequently contributes to lesser back pain.
Don’t forget, the longer you leave it, the worse it gets. If you suffer from severe or prolonged back pain, book a visit with your GP.
Comments