Low Back Pain: Treatment and Prevention Tips

Low back pain: Are you one of the millions suffering from low back pain?

Studies show that 80 percent of the world’s population will experience back pain – either low back pain or upper back pain – at some point over the course of their lives. Low back pain can cause you to abstain from many activities, force you to miss work and leave you unable to do many things you want to do.

FootSmart has teamed with The Podiatry Institute to provide tips for treating and preventing low back pain.

First: Treatment for low back pain sufferers.

The following can help ease your low back pain and keep you moving in comfort:

• Rest can help relieve low back pain.
• Ice or heat can help ease low back pain.
• Exercise can help relieve low back pain.
• Physical therapy can help alleviate low back pain.
• Chiropractic treatment can help ease low back pain.
• Acupuncture can help treat low back pain.
• Surgery can help alleviate low back pain.

Back support products like back cushions, back supports, back support pillows and more can also help improve your posture and provide good support to relieve your low back pain. FootSmart, dedicated to helping treat your lower body ailments like low back pain, sells many of these products right here at FootSmart.com.

Prevention is also important when it comes to low back pain.

Practicing good posture when standing and sitting is the most important preventive measure for low back pain is. You’re using your back muscles constantly, so if you want to avoid low back pain, it’s important to support these strained and weakened muscles.

Here’s a quick tip on preventing low back pain: Sit up straight, round your shoulders back and hold your head high.

Making sure you’re wearing good shoes is another good way to help avoid low back pain. Minor changes in shoes, like buying more therapeutic shoes, avoiding high heels, giving your feet support with orthotics (shoe inserts), can help limit the strain feet place on the hips and back and keep low back pain away.

Also avoid low back pain by strengthening your back muscles via stretching and back toning exercises. Regular stretching and toning will help you avoid the injuries that often cause low back pain.

Aside from injuries, many factors can lead to low back pain:

• Carelessly pushing, pulling and lifting heavy objects can lead to low back pain.
• People who have to lift heavy objects or perform strenuous activity as part of their job can easily develop low back pain.
• Poor posture can contribute to low back pain.
• Overexertion in work and play can cause to low back pain.
• Sitting incorrectly – especially those hunched over a desk or computer all day – can contribute to low back pain.
• If you’re at least middle aged, you’re at risk for developing low back pain.

• Men are at a higher risk for developing low back pain, though women are more susceptible to osteoporosis.

Your doctor can provide additional recommendations on ways to help treat and prevent low back pain. Definitely make an appointment with your physician if your low back pain lasts more than two or three days.

Information on foot, leg and low body health conditions like low back pain provided by The Podiatry Institute, dedicated to advancing the standard of care in podiatric medicine and its effects on muscoskeletal health.