Back Muscle Pain - Prevent Or Cure
Doctors report that back problems are the second most common patient complaint.
Below are some tips and hints for anyone who is experiencing a recent onset of back pain, or who just wants to prevent it from happening to them.
The main point is simply to become more aware of your movement habits.
By focusing on these patterns, you are already well on the way to dealing with the problem and solving or preventing it.
One important aspect of any new experience is that is sudden.
So pay extra attention to any recent change in your movement habits.
For example, did you start a new job that requires more desk time than you are used to? Did you change cell phones, or are you spending more time than usual on the phone? Are you talking on the cell phone a lot when you drive? A lot of us cradle the phone between our head and shoulder, which is one way to create muscle pain.
So maybe you need to invest in a speakerphone for your vehicle or desktop.
Have you recently changed your computer or living room setup for watching TV? Does the chair where you do your desk work, or the couch where you watch TV, give solid support to your back and neck? How about your lower back? If you catch yourself craning forward at your computer, or spending too long with your arms or hands in a fixed or frozen position while watching TV (such as leaning on one shoulder), this is a habit you can correct.
Your doctor can refer you to a physical therapist if you need help with reducing or eliminating back pain.
These specialists are trained to help you identify any bad movement or postural habits, and work with you to correct or eliminate them.
But before you spend a lot of time (and maybe money) on a specialist, track your own movements for a while.
You can even track your time at the computer, the TV, on the cell phone, and so forth, to see what patterns this reveals.
By increasing body awareness, you can often pinpoint the source of stress that is bringing you back muscle pain.
Keep in mind that our bodies are not designed for many of the modern activities we subject it to.
In simpler times, with less specialized jobs, humans tended to vary their activities greatly throughout the day.
Activities tended to be shorter in duration and more varied with regard to the amount of effort required.
So this meant that your heart pumped at various rates, which let you get a bit of exercise, and then some rest before going onto the next task.
Changing old habits is not usually easy, but if you can view back muscle pain, or simply your fear of it, as a chance to improve your quality of life, you can.
Do whatever it takes to remind yourself to be conscious of what you are doing with your body.
Some physical therapists have their patients use colorful adhesive dot labels in well-chosen locations around their house to remind them to check their posture.
Below are some tips and hints for anyone who is experiencing a recent onset of back pain, or who just wants to prevent it from happening to them.
The main point is simply to become more aware of your movement habits.
By focusing on these patterns, you are already well on the way to dealing with the problem and solving or preventing it.
One important aspect of any new experience is that is sudden.
So pay extra attention to any recent change in your movement habits.
For example, did you start a new job that requires more desk time than you are used to? Did you change cell phones, or are you spending more time than usual on the phone? Are you talking on the cell phone a lot when you drive? A lot of us cradle the phone between our head and shoulder, which is one way to create muscle pain.
So maybe you need to invest in a speakerphone for your vehicle or desktop.
Have you recently changed your computer or living room setup for watching TV? Does the chair where you do your desk work, or the couch where you watch TV, give solid support to your back and neck? How about your lower back? If you catch yourself craning forward at your computer, or spending too long with your arms or hands in a fixed or frozen position while watching TV (such as leaning on one shoulder), this is a habit you can correct.
Your doctor can refer you to a physical therapist if you need help with reducing or eliminating back pain.
These specialists are trained to help you identify any bad movement or postural habits, and work with you to correct or eliminate them.
But before you spend a lot of time (and maybe money) on a specialist, track your own movements for a while.
You can even track your time at the computer, the TV, on the cell phone, and so forth, to see what patterns this reveals.
By increasing body awareness, you can often pinpoint the source of stress that is bringing you back muscle pain.
Keep in mind that our bodies are not designed for many of the modern activities we subject it to.
In simpler times, with less specialized jobs, humans tended to vary their activities greatly throughout the day.
Activities tended to be shorter in duration and more varied with regard to the amount of effort required.
So this meant that your heart pumped at various rates, which let you get a bit of exercise, and then some rest before going onto the next task.
Changing old habits is not usually easy, but if you can view back muscle pain, or simply your fear of it, as a chance to improve your quality of life, you can.
Do whatever it takes to remind yourself to be conscious of what you are doing with your body.
Some physical therapists have their patients use colorful adhesive dot labels in well-chosen locations around their house to remind them to check their posture.
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