If you've read my previous blog post, What's My Story and How Did I Get Here https://www.ajourneyofholistichealthandwellbeing.com/post/what-s-my-story-and-how-did-i-get-here, you would know that I suffer from scoliosis, and my back hurts All. The. Time... unless I take proper care of myself.
Some of the ways that I do this (and if you suffer from back pain, upon consulting your medical/ health care professional, you can too) are:
Avoid Sitting or Standing Too Long
This one can be easier said than done, especially considering that I work a 38-hour a week office job, and sadly, many of my hobbies (reading, writing, scrapbooking etc.) involve (or are just easier) being seated.
Did you know that sitting is considered the new smoking? It's no secret that the sedentary lifestyle that many of us are living is just plain bad for our health.
On the other hand, standing in the same position for too long is also bad for your health and can contribute to poor circulation in your legs which may lead to varicose or spider veins, and/ or foot problems if you do not wear proper, supportive footwear.
One thing that really aggravates my back pain is being in the one position (sitting or standing) for too long. I try to combat this in a couple of ways:
At work I use a sit-stand desk. This is a great way to change positions throughout the day and I like to alternate between sitting and standing while I do my work. The sit-stand desk that I have at work conveniently sits on top of my work desk and has a lever on the side so that I can adjust the height to wherever I need/ want it. Although I've always been prepared to buy my own sit-stand desk for work, I have found that most employers are quick to agree to purchasing a sit-stand desk in the interest of employee health and wellbeing. If you'd like a sit-stand desk at work and your employer seems reluctant to purchase one (they can be a little pricey depending on which one you choose), maybe you could offer to go them halves? Or, make an investment on your health and purchase your own.
As well as frequently switching my position from sitting to standing, then back again, I also like to take a quick break every hour to get a little movement into my day. I have set myself a pop-up reminder in my email calendar, and whenever it pops up, I simply leave my desk, walk down the stairs, do a few stretches, walk back up the stairs and return to my desk. Simple, but effective.
Proper Work Desk Setup
As well as ensuring that I have a sit-stand desk at my disposal, I also try to make sure that my work desk is set up to be ergonomically correct. This means:
Elbows and knees at a 90 degree angle
Feet can be comfortably positioned flat on the floor (or a foot rest)
Top of computer screen sits at eye level
Computer screen is approximately an arm's length away
Back straight (I also use the back rest pictured below for lumbar support)
There are other things that you can do to ensure a proper ergonomic setup at work which you can easily search on Google, but the main thing is that you are comfortable.
Back & Hip Stretches + Core Strengthening Exercises
One thing that helps me to alleviate back pain more than anything else, are the back stretches and core strengthening exercises prescribed by my physiotherapist.
Doing my stretches and exercises daily (or for the best results 2-3 times a day) really helps me get rid of my back pain altogether.
Some of the stretches/ exercises that help are (and if you're not familiar with them, Google can show you exactly how to do them):
Cat/ cow pose/ stretch
Bridges/ bridge exercises
Figure-4 stretch
Air bicycle/ air cycling
Knee to elbow crunches
Child's pose
Knee-to-chest stretch
Sphinx stretch
Lying knee raises
Abdominal planks
The thing about these stretches and exercises is that they work so well for me, that usually after a couple of days of doing them, my back pain disappears completely.
The catch? I have to make sure I keep doing them if I actually want my back pain to stay away!
Posture/ Kneeling Chair
Sometimes, if I'm at home and I really do want to do things that involve being seated, I'll opt for my kneeling chair. It's nice sometimes to not actually be leaning on my back.
Kneeling chairs are good for your posture as they keep your spine properly aligned and distribute body weight more evenly, which helps to relieve pressure in your hips and lower back.
They also help to promote "active sitting" by engaging your core and encouraging you to be more aware of your posture.
If you've never seen one before, don't be fooled by its appearance, I thought the same thing you're likely thinking... "How can that possibly comfortable?" I don't know how, but trust me when I say, it just is.
It can put a bit of pressure on your knees and shins though if you use them for long periods of time, so if you have any problems with your knees or shins, I'd probably ask your doctor or podiatrist for advice before using one.
Balance Ball/ Exercise Ball
These are also a great way to encourage active sitting in which your core is engaged, helping to strengthen your back. Strong core/ stomach muscles = strong back muscles.
Back Stretcher
My partner bought me this back stretcher (pictured below), which works wonders when my back is killing me!
It's another contraption that looks really uncomfortable, but I actually really love using it. It's almost as if I can feel my compressed vertebrae spacing themselves back out again.
I just lay out a yoga mat, rest the widest side of the back stretcher right at the small of my back, then lie back over it for a few minutes.
The back stretcher is adjustable, so that you can work with the level of curvature that works for you. I'd always recommend starting on the most subtle position, then working your way up from there.
Walking
Walking is a great way to relieve back pain as it helps to strengthen your back muscles as well as circulating the vital nutrients required to nourish your spinal tissues and also helps to increase lymphatic drainage (a process that removes toxins from your body).
Also, if you're walking, you're not leaning on your back which can also help to prevent back pain.
Sports Massager
When my back pain is really bothering me, my partner always offers to run over my back with the sports massager pictured below.
When we first started using the massager, I found it to be really intense, but after a while, we learned a few tricks.
Firstly, we use the big, round head (the massager comes in a case with a few different attachments), and secondly, the higher the speed, the smoother the massager feels, while lower speeds tend to make it feel a little more "punchy".
Using it on your back, I'd also advise trying to stick to using it on muscle and avoiding bony areas such as the spine and shoulder blades.
I always find that combining this massager with my back stretches/ exercises is a great combo when trying to relieve back pain. The massager really helps get the blood flow circulating around my back and helps to loosen everything up.
Foam Roller
This one I wouldn't recommend using unless you can be sure that you're using the correct technique, as improper technique can actually have the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve and may cause further injury or strain on your back.
If however, the foam roller is used correctly, it can be a very effective way to increase blood flow and relieve tight back muscles. It's almost as good as a massage and can help to work out knots and increase lymphatic drainage.
But again, please - I can't stress enough to please make sure you know what you're doing before giving this one a go. You don't want to cause yourself any further damage.
Do you suffer from back pain? If so, what methods to you usually use to try to relieve the pain?
Happy to have you here and I hope you have a great day/ night!
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Hope to have you back soon. Thanks for reading.
Lisa. 😊 xx
PS.
Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, the above health advice is meant for educational purposes only.
It is not intended to replace the advice of any medical or health care professional.
I may not be held responsible for any risk, injury or issues that may arise from acting upon the advice contained in this blog post.
Always seek advice from a qualified medical professional prior to making any changes to your regular routine.
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