Townsville Bowen Therapy – Strength of character
So what can you do to avoid back pain? Like anything to do with the body, the back is another use it or lose it. Sure, too much use can cause pain, but so can too little. An inactive back is open to injury at the slightest effort, so to avoid this, regular exercise is a fast way to building up resistance to injury – and even breathing can strengthen the back. Deep belly breathing – by placing your hands on the stomach and inhaling and exhaling deeply as many times a day as you can – will keep the the spinal cord moving up and down inside the vertabrae and reduce the risk of nerves being pinched…a pretty easy and simple solution to potential pain.
If you can find a few minutes in the day then you should try neck stretches – including bending, side-to-side, up-and-down and ear-to-shoulder exercises that will strengthen the cervical spine. For the lower spine using light weights and yoga poses such as the ‘downward dog’ – plus exercises like push-ups – will open the chest and stretch the spine. Good posture is also important, keeping the head level, the ears and shoulders aligned will help the spine by reducing the strain on the neck and can reduce associated tension related issues such as migraines and respitory restriction. For the back, the best sitting posture is not actually the vertical 90-degrees, but a slight angle backwards at 110-degrees – this ‘slight’ slouch, allows the shoulders to take some of the weight against a chair rather than placing all the weight on the lower spine.
Sleep can also be a problem – not enough can cause neck and back strains from increased muscle tension. Sleep should also be in a position to relax the spine – on your side usually places the least amount of pressure on all those vertabrae. Making sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable and supportive is also critical to a pain free back. For all intents and purposes, a relaxed back is a good back – find a balance between your lifestyle and spine and enjoy the benefits.
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