lower back pain
... learned about how to prevent lower back pain. So, if you love yourself, you will follow my tips on good body posture, the importance of diet and exercise with proper lifting techniques, and better sleeping positions. Body: I. Good body posture reduces your risk for backache. 1. Attention! a. The military stance may seem exaggerated, but you should apply some of its rule to your daily upright posture. (Larson, Mayo Clinic Health Book, pg989.) b. Keeping your backbone straight is an obvious step. 2. Sit up straight! a. The key to good back posture is to keep the right amount of curve in your lower back. (Kemper, Kaiser Permanent Healthwise Handbook, pg90.) b. When sitting, the seat should be high enough so that your thighs rest horizontally on the seat and are parallel to the ground. (Larson, Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, pg989.) Now that you know some ways for a better posture, you should know that getting regular exercise, proper lifting techniques, and maintaining a healthy body weight can prevent you from suffering lower back pain. II. A. Exercise is required to keep the muscles that support the back strong. 1. Proper lifting helps to protect your back from injury. a. Avoid back strain when lifting heavy objects. The spine can withstand only so much weight before it rebels. (Finneson, “Low Back Pain” pg124.) b. Bend your knees, not your back. c. Bring tensions on your muscles gradually. - Do not jerk the load. (Finneson, “Low Back Pain” pg124.) - Do not lunge to lift the load. (lean forward) B. Weight control is the second line of defense. (Larson, “Mayo Clinic Family Healthbook pg988.) 1. Being overweight adds pressure to your spine and lower back. (Kemper, “Kaiser Permanent Healthwise Handbook pg92.) Now that you know about exercise and proper lifting, I will tell you about the correct way to lye. You may think that you are lying down to relax your back, but there is a right way to lye down that will not make your backache worse. III. A. Proper prone (face down) position prevents backache pain. 1. Don't sleep without a cushion for your abdomen. a. Sleeping on the abdomen without a cushion tends to increase the lumbosacral angle. (Finneson, ...