4 Ways to Protect Your Back
October 24, 2018
By Chiro One Wellness Centers
Posture
Focusing on proper posture strengthens your back throughout the day. Sit in a chair that provides good low back support. Keep your back upright, in a slightly
arched position, with your head lifted and shoulders back. Maintain a work surface at proper height as well; you shouldn’t lean far forward or
look downward. As a good rule of thumb, keep the bottom of your computer monitor at eye level.
Stretching
Regular stretching combats back pain and injury by relieving the stress and tension that come from maintaining the same position for many hours. Stretching
periodically—as often as once an hour during your work day —helps keep your back in great shape.
Sleeping
If you’re like most people, you rarely think about protecting your back while you’re sleeping, but you should. Consider replacing a mattress more than
10 years old with a new, more supportive one. Use pillows strategically to maintain proper spinal alignment, avoiding keeping your head turned to one
side or tilted in a chin-to-chest position.
Lifting
We all lift or move heavy objects occasionally. Next time, be more aware of back protection while you do it. The most common low back injury comes from
bending forward and twisting the spine at the same time, especially with the added stress of lifting an object. Picture that coupled motion of bending
and twisting like wringing out a wet towel. That’s not something we want to do to our backs.
Keep these helpful heavy lifting tips in mind:
- Plan ahead and make sure you have a clear walkway
- Hold items close to your body
- Lift with bended knees and abdominal muscles pulled in
- Look up while lifting
- If an object is too heavy or awkward, ask for help