Chronic neck pain and backache are not uncommon these days, but what most people don’t realise is that their daily routine may take a negative toll on their back and make the pain worse. For example, back muscles may make it easy to stay in a slouching position, and along with other bad habits related to poor posture, can cause chronic back pain. But when you replace your everyday bad habits with healthy habits, you will notice significant improvement in your symptoms, or even complete back pain relief.
Below you can find some of the most common 10 daily habits that are bad for your back:
1.Way of Exercising
There are various health benefits associated with exercise, but the kind of exercise you are doing, as well as your form during the activity might leave a significant impact on your health. Weight-bearing exercises enhance bone density in your vertebral column while those focusing on your core allow for the strengthening of your back and abdomen muscles.
However, it may be surprising to know that some popular workouts like cycling and spin classes may aggravate your neck and back problems because they are not suitable for people with particular back problems.
2.Your Dairy Dilemma
Calcium is mandatory for the health of the skeletal system and dairy products provide enough amount of calcium, but if you do not consume an adequate amount of yogurt, cheese or milk, for example due to lactose intolerance or any other issue, your bones become weak.
3. Un-Judicious Use of Sunblock
Although applying sunblock to the skin is the best method to decrease the risk of skin cancer and prevent wrinkling of the skin, you might be depriving your body of the essential vitamin D provided by the sun. This vitamin is essential for the proper absorption of calcium in order to keep your bones healthy. As a consequence, you may suffer from chronic back pain due to the weakening of spinal bones.
It is sufficient if you expose your body just for fifteen minutes to the sunlight in the morning to boosts up the production of vitamin D.
4.Addiction to Mobile Phones
Excessive use of electronic devices such as smartphones and tables, as well as computers may strain your back and neck and lead to pain. In addition, this can lead to the compression of the spine and that of intervertebral discs over a period of time.
5.Your Office Job
If you are an office worker and sit at your desk for several hours at a time without having good back support, the slouching position you develop may strain your spine and cause lower back pain. To avoid this problem, try adjusting your workspace in such a way that your eyes are in the straight line with your computer screen while you are comfortably sitting in your chair.
6. Medicine May Cause a Problem
There are certain medicines which cause the weakening of your bones, such as steroid-based medications for example. If you are taking high doses of this substance, it will negatively affect your bones, leading to many problems such as increased tendency of fractures, bone deformities, and other problems which result in chronic pain.
7.The Way of Lifting your Babies, Pets and Heavy Grocery Bags
Improper way of lifting your pets, kids or heavy bags may exert undue stress on your vertebral column. The right way is that while lifting a child, pet or bag, your feet must be set apart according to the width of your shoulders and you must bend at your knees while lifting it, instead of bending at the waist. Also make sure you hold the object as close to your body as possible.
8.Your Love for a Statement Necklace
Some statement necklaces can cause your neck and vertebral column to be in an over flexed position due to the weight of the piece. Due to this bad posture of the neck and vertebral column, back and shoulder pain may occur. If you really like such necklaces, wear them only for short periods of time.
9.Your Footwear with High Heels
Wearing shoes with high heels is indeed a part of fashion. Although people love wearing these attractive showy shoes, they put your feet at an angle that enhances the tension in your vertebral column that leads to pain in the lumbar region of back, shoulders and neck. To have a healthy spine, it is imperative that you avoid wearing these high heeled shoes frequently.
10. Lack of Back Support While Sleeping
Your mattress may be at fault for causing you to wake up with back pain in the morning. As comfortable as it may seem to sleep on a very soft mattress, the lack of support for your back may cause it to arch excessively while sleeping, especially if you tend to rest on your side. Additionally, if you tend to sleep in this position, you are more prone to developing low back pain and suffering from lack of sleep. To avoid this, you may wish to place a pillow in-between your knees to improve the alignment of your back while laying down.
Good Habits
Now that you are aware of these bad habits that may harm your back, it is time to learn of the 5 daily habits that are good, and which can help your spine health:
- Ensure you have proper back support while sleeping, siting, or standing.
- Wear comfortable shoes and avoid accessories that may strain your back.
- Mind your posture while using electronic devices or lifting heavy objects.
- Ensure your body get sufficient nutrients so that your bones stay healthy.
- Use an orthopaedic device to improve your posture and spinal range of motion and get rid of any pain and stiffness along the spine.
Backrack Spinal Decompression Device
How Spinal Decompression Helps Your Spine
All the bad everyday habits mentioned above increase your chances of spinal compression, which is a state in which your spinal column is squashed down. When this happens, other components of the spine may become affected. Nerves and spinal discs are particularly prone to becoming compressed as well, and the former component is especially responsible for making you feel pain.
By reversing the compression of your spine, the pain shall also subside. That is not to say that a change in daily habits is not beneficial for your spine, but that spinal decompression complements your efforts to improve spinal health.
Author: Spinal Backrack
