Take Care Of Your Back

Do you suffer from lower back pain?  You've taken pain medication for relief and you've had several fairly successful back surgeries. However, you never know when your back is going out next.

From today's excerpt from my book Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth I share several ways you can get more involved in taking care of your back.

Did you know 80 percent of Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives? They do according to a Women’s Day magazine article. If you slump, slouch, or hunch through the day, you might wind up a statistic. Whether you’re Googling your favorite sports team or sashaying down the street, you can save yourself pain down the road by taking care of your back NOW. Here’s how, courtesy of Web MD.

Forget standing at attention. Dr. Arthur White, a back surgeon and author of The Posture Prescription, says good posture doesn’t mean standing like a soldier at attention; that actually puts pressure on the spine. Instead, stand in a relaxed, balanced manner. Your shoulders should be square and down, your head held high, but your muscles shouldn’t be tensed. Check your stance throughout the day — when you’re waiting for a latte, when you’re in the elevator — and adjust as needed. When you reposition yourself, you can even look taller!

Feet before fashion.  Problems like high arches and flat feet can sabotage your posture and lead to an aching back. Women are especially vulnerable; they suffer four times as many foot problems as men. Why? Narrow, ill-fitting high heels are enemy number one! So ladies, wear those fancy shoes for meetings and parties, but for extensive walking, slip on comfortable shoes with heels no higher than an inch and a half.

Slump less, break more.  Between work, Web surfing, and TV time, most of us probably spend most of our day sitting. That’s murder on our backs! Top it off with bad posture, and we’re in for a lifetime of OUCH. A Swedish study shows that sitting increases the force on your spine by 140 percent compared to when you stand! If you slump, that number goes up to 185 percent! So, here’s how to sit:

• Line up your head over your shoulders, shoulders over your hips

• Rest on your “sitz bones”—those are the two bones in your tush.

• Put your feet flat on the floor, with your legs at a 90-degree angle.

• Also, take breaks every forty-five to sixty minutes to prevent strain.

I've devoted a whole section of my book, Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth to the latest tips on taking care of your health. The book is now available in your local bookstores or you can go online and order it from Barnes & Noble.

John 

Email John: johnsblog@teshmedia.com