Watch Your Back

by American Chiropractic Association’s – The 12 Days of Health & Wellness

Low-back pain is a common complaint, affecting thousands year-round. The holidays can put an even greater strain on your back—but there are things you can do to relieve or minimize your pain.

The American Chiropractic Association offers the following health and wellness advice:

The combination of physical exertion and emotional stress during the holidays can increase your back pain. Avoid holiday back pain with these simple tips:

• You should always lift with your legs. Bend at the knees, not with your back, when lifting something. Following this rule should help absorb a lot of the shock of lifting objects into your knees instead of your back, and will help you avoid a lot of pain later on.

• When hanging decorations in a high place, stand on a stepping stool. Never try to stretch and reach beyond a comfortable limit—people don’t realize the strain that stretching past their limits can put on their backs, which can in turn result in back pain.

• Have someone help you in the kitchen as you create the perfect holiday dinner. By bending in front of the stove all day, pulling a heavy turkey or ham in and out of the oven, you may be hurting your back. Make sure you kneel down with a straight back when lifting food from the oven. This will help prevent tension and strain in the back.

• Try to stretch before any chore or activity.

• Leave your purse at home, if possible. Wear a light fanny pack, or if necessary, a light backpack instead. Pack only those items that are absolutely essential (driver’s license, credit card, etc.).

• If you start to feel pain, nip it in the bud. Apply an ice pack to the affected area for 20 minutes, and then remove it for a couple of hours. Repeat a couple of times each day over the next day or two.

• Stretching and an active lifestyle are often recommended to help reduce back pain and speed the recovery process following an injury. Improving flexibility through stretching is also an excellent way to avoid future injuries.

• Passive stretches such as hamstring, hip flexor and back stretching help facilitate movement in the affected muscle or joint. Stretches should be held for 15 to 30 seconds, allowing the muscles to gradually relax and lengthen.

• Active stretches such as leg raises, bridging and pointer exercise facilitate movement and improve strength.

Maintaining a healthy diet and weight, avoiding prolonged inactivity or bed rest, maintaining proper posture, sleeping on a mattress of medium fi rmness to minimize any curve in your spine, and taking steps to quit smoking (smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues) will all help to relieve or minimize your back pain.

Your doctor of chiropractic can help alleviate stress, tension, and the aches and pains that often accompany them naturally, and offer you advice on exercise and nutrition, so you can enjoy the holiday season as it was meant to be..

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