How To Avoid Neck Pain And Back Pain
The rigor and stress of everyday life can take its toll on our bodies
, especially our spines. Research suggests that up to 90% of the population will have at least one case of severe neck or back pain in their lifetime, while as much as 75% of the population as the potential to develop what is considered a chronic problem. Many occupations, such as the various medical fields, construction work, factory work, and automotive work tend to place extra demand on the spine. Office work that requires sitting all day also tends to create more than its fare share of problems. Here are some tips and guidelines, that if followed, can significantly reduce the risk of having a serious or chronic episode of back or neck pain, and they can keep you feeling your best for years to come.
Besides accidental injury, the top four contributing factors for neck and back pain are nutrition, body weight and fitness level, flexibility, and lifestyle.
In order for your body to maintain life, a certain level of nutrition is required. Quite honestly, the human body can be sustained on amazingly poor nutrition. However, in order for your body to be functioning at its highest potential, that is, for it to have the ability to heal from injury, replace damaged tissue, and keep all of your various body parts working at 100%, a higher level of good nutrition is required. If we were to create the ideal food list, it would look like this:
Lean meats and eggs
Whole grains
Fruits
Vegetables (not potatoes)
Cheeses
Nuts
Berries
What you will not see on this list is sugar. Excessive consumption of sugar containing foods is the number one health problem that America faces today. I know it is impossible to stay 100% true to this list, but use it as a guide.
How about fluids? What are you going to drink? The only thing on the list is water. You really do need to take in at least 8 glasses of liquid daily; even more if you are in a situation where you are sweating a lot. The other liquids that you can drink (coffee, tea, soda, juices, beer, etc.), even if they are sugar free, tend to have what is known as a diuretic effect. To be frank, that means they make you pee more. So, even if you take in 8 glasses, you may lose a large quantity of that in the restroom. Once again, we cant be perfect, however, the better you can rely on water as the main source for fluids, the better off you will be.
The number one factor in the prevention of injury and pain is body weight and fitness level. Carrying around too much body weight for your frame size increases the stress on your spine. The real problem is that it does not just increase the stress on your spine while you are at work; it does it 24 hours a day! The human body requires a certain amount of physical activity to stay healthy. Having good muscle tone decreases the risk of injury to the spine. You especially want to focus on what is known as your core muscles. These are the muscles of the back, stomach, thighs, hamstrings, and buttocks. Now, you may be thinking right now, I work a hard job, and I get plenty of exercise all day long, I dont need to work out. There is a huge difference. The work that most of us do on the job tends to be repetitive, wearing down work. The same muscles groups are worked over and over, and usually we dont use 100% of our range of movements. This actually creates muscle imbalances and reduced flexibility over time, which tends to lead to injury. Usually the cardiovascular component is missing as well. The work you do while exercising should focus on using full range of motion and equally work all of the major muscle groups. A work-out routine consisting of weight training and cardiovascular training is an essential part of maintaining a healthy body and helps speed up the recovery time when injuries do happen.
Flexibility is the second most important factor in maintaining a healthy spine and body. I am not only referring to muscle flexibility, but joint flexibility as well. Most of us, as we leave our childhood years into adulthood begin to drastically lose muscle and joint flexibility. There are of course some aging factors involved, but lifestyle habits are a much greater cause. Lets face it, most of us just dont move as much as when we were kids. We have jobs to do! Most of the time that job involves the same movements over and over. The old saying comes true: use it or lose it! Why is flexibility important? Our joints do not have a blood supply. They rely on movement to bring nutrients in and take waste products away. Our joints are living tissue; the tissues need renewed on a regular basis and damage that needs repair is constantly happening. Without good movement, the joints do not get the proper nutrients, and degeneration begins to occur. Most of us know this degeneration as arthritis. What do you do? Make stretching and range of motion exercises a part of your normal daily routine.
Lifestyle involves everything from what we do all day to how we think and how we sleep. Lifestyle habits include sitting, standing, lifting, physical activity, talking on the telephone, sleep, and stress coping habits.
When sitting, choose a chair that has good low back support (usually curves out at the bottom). When you site, do not slouch; instead, sit straight with your feet flat on the floor. Guys, take your wallet out of your back pocket. Avoid recliners and soft couches; they do not support your back. Take frequent stretch breaks if you have to sit for a long time. If you are at a desk, organize the things around you so that your neck or body is not twisted and you are not forced to look up or down for long periods.
Stand with your body straight and your shoulders back. When you have to stand in one place for long periods of time, put one foot on a 4-6-inch stool to help keep pressure off your spine.
Avoid wearing high heels if you are going to be on your feet for long periods of time.
When you lift, avoid twisting and turning motions. If you have to turn to place an object, step in the direction of the turn, don't just twist at the waist.
Always warm up and cool down before and after physical activities such as playing sports, raking, gardening, and shoveling. Always warm up before stretching. It is more effective to stretch after exercise than before.
When using the telephone, avoid cradling the receiver between your neck and shoulder. If you use the phone a lot, use a lightweight headset. Also, switch hands frequently when on the phone.
Get the best mattress you can! Our body needs good sleep to rest, renew, and heal. We spend a huge portion of our life in bed. Your body needs to be well supported and comfortable. Dont sleep on the couch. Dont watch TV in bed. It is best to sleep on your side or back; avoid sleeping on your stomach, and dont use two pillows.
Long term stress increases muscle tension, making them prone to injury. It reduces your bodys ability to regenerate and heal and it lowers your pain tolerance. We all face stressful situations and times, and most stress comes from worrying about events we cannot control. If stress is taking control of your life, it may be time to get help. Proper exercise, nutrition, and sleep can help. You may consider talking over you situation to an understanding friend. You can always turn to the Bible for answers. As Luke says in 12:25-26, Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
In summary:
If you are overweight, lose it!
If you dont exercise on a regular basis, begin!
If you dont stretch on a regular basis, start!
If you eat and drink garbage all day, stop!
If you sit all day, get up and move!
If you stand all day, sit down and relax!
If you are stressed, adopt a positive mental attitude!
Stay off of couches and out of recliners; practice good posture!
by: Dr. Calvin Shanks
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