Lifestyler with Josie McKenlay: How to avoid back pain – Part 1

Josie McKenlay 14:54 17/04/2014
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  • Spot the problem: Back problems are the bane of many sportsmen and women's lives.

    Oh, the misery of back pain! Most of us will have at least one episode in our lives and for many, it becomes a chronic condition.

    Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong and should never be ignored.

    Apart from in the case of a trauma or a congenital disorder, the first back pain episode you experience is the result of a problem that has been festering for many years.

    It may seem sudden and lead you to believe that when you bent over, you suddenly “put your back out”.

    Generally, the pain you experience is muscular which will settle down in a few weeks, but the sooner you address the underlying cause, the better.

    Best of all though, avoid it.

    I don’t want to go into detail about all the different types of back pain. What I want to provide here are some ways to avoid it altogether and next week give you some ideas of how to deal with it and prevent it.

    Avoiding Back Problems
    1. Lifestyle:
    There are a handful of things you can do to minimise your risk of back pain:

    (a) The obvious thing that springs to mind is a sedentary lifestyle, so walking every day will keep your back and hips mobile.

    (b) Carrying too much weight is also a major factor in back problems.

    (c) If you do spend a lot of time sitting, get up and walk around every hour.

    (d) Check your driving position – height of seat and steering wheel.

    (e) Make sure you have a good mattress and a pillow that keeps your neck correctly aligned [ever woken up unable to move your head off the pillow?]

    (f ) Avoid constant bending down: learn to squat correctly so that you keep your spine aligned. If you have to bend, especially if you are twisting [car baby seats], brace your abdominal muscles to offer support to your spine.

    (g) Evenly distribute the load when carrying things.

    2. Diet & health: This could come under lifestyle; however, I have seen people crippled by osteoporosis and it should be avoided at all costs. I will write about it in more detail another time, but there are three things you must do to avoid brittle bones and a world of pain.

    Right at the top of the list: please don’t smoke; secondly, you must do some weight bearing exercise to encourage new bone growth. Walking, running, Pilates, yoga andbody resistance exercise are all examples of activities to keep your bones healthy.

    Lastly, watch your diet: bones need calcium [dairy is an excellent source of calcium], but calcium requires vitamin D to aid absorption and sunlight is the very best form; so get out in the sun for 20 minutes a day.

    3. Posture: Poor posture will lead to muscle imbalances over the years. Muscle imbalances caused by repeated movement patterns will lead to postural issues which will eventually lead to back pain.

    Simply practicing a balanced Pilates routine on a regular basis will correct poor posture and the Complete Matwork Sequence is ideal for anyone wanting to avoid back pain in the future [the complete series from beginner through to advanced is available on Vimeo [vimeo.com/ondemand/josiemckenlaypilates]. 

    4. Pregnancy: I’ve had clients who have spent the last trimester – sometimes longer – on crutches or in a wheelchair. It’s true that some people will be more susceptible to PGP [Pelvic Girdle Pain], but being fit for pregnancy should be a priority.

    Again, Pilates is excellent preparation because it will strengthen your core muscles and all the other muscles that supportyour back and pelvis.

    Keeping to a healthy weight is also essential: you absolutely must not eat for two! I will write about this in more detail in a later column.

    Next week: Self help and prevention.

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