Is Your Sore Back Getting You Down?

If you’ve ever had a sore lower back, you’re not alone!

Around 80% of people in the United Kingdom will be affected by lower back pain at some point in their lives. Symptoms can range from a dull ache to a stabbing or shooting sensation. Lower back pain is extremely common, but it doesn’t just affect the middle-aged and elderly. Back pain symptoms in younger people are on the rise. There is increasing numbers of under 30s that are seeking help for lower back pain caused by spending long periods sitting at desks and being active for fewer than two hours a day. Lower back pain can be triggered by a number of lifestyle choices and medical conditions. 

The risk factors we are exposed to:

Tips may help reduce your risk of low back pain:

Sitting at work

Support your back - adjust your chair so your lower back is properly supported because correctly adjusted chair will reduce the strain on your back. Get a chair that is easily adjustable so you can change the height, back position and tilt. Your knees should be slightly lower than your hips. Use a footrest, if it feels necessary. Adjust your chair height so you can use the keyboard with your wrists and forearms straight and level with the floor. This can help prevent repetitive strain injuries. Your elbows should be by the side of your body so your arm forms an L-shape at the elbow joint. 

Your screen should be directly in front of you. A good guide is to place the monitor about an arm's length away, with the top of the screen roughly at eye level. To achieve this, you may need a monitor stand. If you spend a lot of time on the phone, try exchanging your handset for a headset. Repeatedly cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder can strain the muscles in your neck.

Don't sit in the same position for too long. Make sure you change your posture as often as is practicable. Frequent short breaks are better for your back than fewer long ones. It gives the muscles a chance to relax while others take the strain.

To beat back pain take one step at a time. Even if you can change 10%of this advice you will notice a difference. Probably the biggest advice we give people is, if its not getting better, seek help. What you have tried up until now hasn't changed things in a lot of cases, sometimes you even feel worse, so the question is to you, what are you loosing by not doing something about this??

If you would like to talk about your back then Message us on info@albaphysiotherapy.co.uk OR if you know someone who is suffering we would love if you shared this link to help them beat back pain and feel better