# How to prevent Back pain  ?



## marshell08 (Mar 20, 2012)

I feel this is the best solution for back pain at old age  

The best way to prevent back pain is to keep your back muscles strong. Follow these steps to help protect your back and prevent back pain:​
Do back strengthening and stretching exercises at least 2 or 3 times a week.
Sit and stand up straight.
Avoid heavy lifting. If you do lift something heavy, bend your legs and keep your back straight.
If you are overweight, lose weight to help lower the strain on your back.

Do you know any good ways to avoid it ?


----------



## Polly (Mar 20, 2012)

Definitely, one should make sure one's bed is contributing to comfort and a healthy sleeping position, rather than causing one to wake up feeling unrefreshed and full of aches and pains.  After all, we spend a good proportion of our 24 hours in bed! 

Personally I prefer a firmer mattress, but I know that this sometimes requires a soft topper to add comfort for joints.  It really is worthwhile spending a bit more to get a good quality mattress and base, with more rather than less springs. 

Likewise, the choice of pillow has a profound affect on head and neck position.  I have found the combination of a soft feather top pillow with a thinner synthetic one below means my head is supported comfortably whether I'm lying on my side or back.


----------



## silverback5 (Mar 20, 2012)

My family thinks I'm crazy but I can swear by this. I have a harness that suspends my upside down from the ceiling as I sleep. (Yes, like a bat.) I know it sounds mad, but ever since I started sleeping this way four years ago, my back problems have miraculously disappeared. It might be the right thing for everybody but it sure works for me. I think it stretches out my vertebrates and makes me limber. I tried doing yoga and other stretches but I had a hard time sticking to the program. This method just does the job while I'm sleeping. It's effortless.


----------



## SeaBreeze (Mar 20, 2012)

silverback5 said:


> My family thinks I'm crazy but I can swear by this. I have a harness that suspends my upside down from the ceiling as I sleep. (Yes, like a bat.) I know it sounds mad, but ever since I started sleeping this way four years ago, my back problems have miraculously disappeared. It might be the right thing for everybody but it sure works for me. I think it stretches out my vertebrates and makes me limber. I tried doing yoga and other stretches but I had a hard time sticking to the program. This method just does the job while I'm sleeping. It's effortless.



Wow, silverback, that is wild!  I can see the benefit of hanging upside down very short term, or using something like an inversion table to stretch the spine, etc., but I'd be worried about a blood clot shooting to my brain, I remember hearing of similar stories with strokes from this, etc.  It's hard for me to imagine someone sleeping like this all night.


----------



## MargotLilli (Mar 20, 2012)

Wow, that is nuts! Where did you get this harness? And don't you get headaches from all the blood rushing to your head while you're sleeping?


----------



## Allin (Mar 20, 2012)

All of these are great tips, but let me throw one more into the mix. When you go to sleep at night or take a nap during the day, prop your feet up on a few pillows underneath your knees. Keeping your legs elevated a little bit really helps to relieve tension and stress from your back, a method that has worked great for me to date.


----------



## adrian (Mar 21, 2012)

Stretching is one of the best aswell as sitting up straight


----------



## overthehill (Mar 24, 2012)

I have back pain everyday of my life,its debilitating.I will try some of the idea's here,sounds like alot of work or a routine to get use to.Thanks


----------



## SeaBreeze (Mar 25, 2012)

overthehill said:


> I have back pain everyday of my life,its debilitating.I will try some of the idea's here,sounds like alot of work or a routine to get use to.Thanks



I shouldn't be too much work at all overthehill. Just become aware of your posture, and the way you lift things to avoid future injuries. An easy and effective stretch that feels good for the back is the "cat stretch". Get on your hand and knees on a carpeted floor, and slowly arch your back up in a rounded way, like a cat. Hold that position for a minute or so. Then slowly lower your back and look up with your head toward the ceiling, this is stretching your spine the opposite way. Hold, and repeat those two moves, works great and keeps the fluid between your vertebra supple.


----------

