Habits You Should Build to Counter Lower Back Pain

For those of us with some experience under our belts, pain of some sort is par for the course in life. Whether neck pain, shoulder pain, or back pain of some sort, some of us aware that it’s one of the dangers posed by deskbound jobs that require us to remain in the same positions for extended periods of time. Others of us have the pains come directly from laborious jobs that need extensive lifting, moving, or assembling. Lower back pain is one of those things that are common, with many beginning to already feel the pangs of pain as soon as they are in their late twenties or early thirties.

Well, what to do to make it better then? Contrary to popular belief, it is not too late to begin a habit even at that age, and that is specifically what this article’s is tackling: the development of new habits to ensure that your back isn’t suffering the stress of your job too much. These habits are essential to the health of your back (and therefore spine) and can be built into routines with just a bit of help. While worse cases should consult with a back pain clinic in Singapore, these habit-builders should be able to provide initial lower back pain treatment in Singapore.

Adjust your Posture

Many of us hunch over – some out of habit and some out of necessity while working – but this hunch actually puts pressure on your lower back. Think about a straight rod, and think about bending that rod any way – the junction where that rod bends tends to be the most brittle, and the general concept applies here.

Prevention is as simple as adjusting your posture; of course, this is easier said than done. When we are used to something (hunching over), it becomes an ingrained habit that doesn’t register as a bad habit that needs to be corrected. As such, this section actually requires quite a bit of mental intervention: the ability to recognise this bad posture and correct them when you can!

There is no need to be too strict with yourself if you aren’t in too serious of a situation – expecting yourself to build and persistently follow a habit on the first try is a recipe for failure – so as long as you are able to initially simply focus on catching and correcting, you are on your way to prevention of lower back pain in Singapore completely!

For those who would like to move a little further forward regarding posture adjustments, additional aids exist. Posture correcting chairs, chest harnesses, and other similar items help to correct your posture constantly, and can be frequently used throughout the day. Posture aids is the next logical step for someone who is regularly able to catch and correct their posture!

Stretch!

Waking up in the morning is hard, and half of us these days wake up five minutes before our next meeting. Why bother with stretching?

Well, because it can help your lower back pain. It doesn’t have to be in the morning – any time you feel like it is good as long as you can do it once a day! These exercises are often recommended by back pain clinics in Singapore as well.

We recommend two exercises for lower back pain:

Exercise 1:

Lower yourself into the floor, belly down. Use your arms to push your entire upper torso up from the floor, keeping your hips approximately on the floor, until you can look up to the ceiling. Hold this pose for 20-30 seconds, or for as long as you can. Then release the hold and allow yourself to sink back to the floor. Repeat twice more for a total of three times.

Exercise 2:

Joint stretches are important – your entire musculoskeletal system is connected after all! From a standing position, do a lunge, but go all the way down until your knee reaches the floor. This stretches your hip flexor muscles, which are peripherally connected to your lower back pain. Hold this for 30 seconds, or move back and forth if you like. Repeat with the other side.

Next, from a standing position, find another surface about hip or waist height. Lift one of your legs onto it, and then try to touch the tip of your lifted leg with your arm or arms. This exercise should help with general flexibility and mobility, and stretches you out to reduce the chance of lower back pain. Do this for 30 seconds with each leg as well.

In Summary:

Lower back pain isn’t a joke, and the pain can get pretty bad for people who have it. Make sure your body is armed to ward against it by simply adjusting your posture as well as by doing some straightforward stretches that take less than five minutes in total.

For cases with more severe pain, please call our pain clinic, as additional treatment may be needed in conjunction with stretching! Our doctors will prescribe a customised regimen that is able to tackle your individual situation.