You don’t have to suffer from chronic back pain. There are a lot of ways you can incorporate simple changes or activities into your day to make long term improvements.
Start each morning by using your body. Stretching, yoga, whatever calm, slow activity is within your physical ability. Don’t just focus on your back, either. Your feet and legs are responsible for supporting your back, and need attention to. Make sure it’s within your ability first, then stretch your calves. To get a deep stretch without bending over, step onto a rolled up towel so your heels are on the floor but your foot is bent up. Then gently bend forward. There are lots of ther stretches you can do too, check out Katy Bowman for ideas.
Then, put on sensible shoes! Save the fancy stuff for occasional, or seated occasions. Poor arch support, heels, etc., can cause back pain, so avoid triggering it.
During the day, have good posture. Keep your shoulders back, spine aligned, head up not forward.
Find time to exercise. Strong muscles will help support your bones for less pain.
Try a warm soak… Sitting in the hot tub is a treat, but especially when yor muscles ache. If you don’t have time for that every day, try a rub like Dakota Muscle Relief.
And of course, support yourself nutritionally! Your body won’t have strong bones, muscles, and good joints if you don’t give it the building blocks to make them. Missing building blocks means holes means pain, so use a safety net like a targeted multivitamin.
Finally, go to sleep on a good mattress. This is probably the most expensive change you can make, but you spend a third of your life sleeping—so that’s 8 hours a day your back will be affected, which is a huge impact!
Have you tried any of these activities for a better back? Are there ones I missed that help?
