Tips to Avoid Lower Back Pain during This Quarantine:
Every person on the planet earth experiences lower back pain at some point in time in his life. Most commonly caused by acute or chronic strain in the lower back, lower back pain goes hand-in-hand with ageing. Older adults are usually more prone to the strain but surprisingly, the even younger generation today are feeling the pinch in the lower back.
Be it due to lack of exercise or due to lack of activity coupled with poor sitting posture during the quarantine, lower back cases in the UK are on the rise. In this blog here we are going to delve into causes of the increase lower back pain during this quarantine and are going to give you few tips to alleviate the symptoms and prevent the potential flare-ups. So read on:
Lockdown, Quarantine & Lower Back Pain
The remote working model has brought two major changes in the daily routine: decreased total activity and mobility. Long gone are the days that involved ample physical activates leading to a sedentary lifestyle that involves less movement, which overtime can negatively impact on the body mechanics especially the back if you are already prone to back pain.
Sitting for prolonged time compresses the body in the wrong way and overtime can cause loss of mobility in ankles, hips and mid-back; the lower back compensates for this loss by taking over. While this can be fine for shorter periods, when you continue the same for longer periods, the lower back tightens developing an acute lower back pain which can become gradually become intense. With no near end in sight for this lockdown, the chance of lower back pain are high if you do not break this chain and give your body a healthy reprieve.
Tips to Avoid Lower Back Pain during This Quarantine:
Ample activity and mobility are what keep the muscle strong and healthy. Stronger they are better are poised to guard you against any strain or injury while supporting your weight. A spine which is a complex system of ligaments, muscles, cartilage, vertebrae is meant to be kept active with a good stretch and exercise lest it tightens-up becoming vulnerable to pain or strain. So here are some of the tips to avoid the lower back pain and keep your spine healthy:
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Avoid prolonged sitting:
Lack of commute and work structure makes remote working appealing. But it also tends to glue you more towards the screens and you end up spending more time sitting which can gradually tighten your hip flexors and weaken the glutes which overtime can trigger lower back pain. You can avoid this actively breaking this chain by taking regular breaks between your worktime for every 40 minutes at the least.
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Limit the bed rest:
Working at home also gives a good chance to increase your bedtime and this, however, doesn’t help your lower back for the same reason of inactivity as said in the above case of prolonged sitting. Taking longer bed rests can decrease the muscle strength, stiffen and weaken the back to exacerbate the back pain symptoms. So avoid prolonged bed rest and get the body moving even for a short time.
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Stretch & exercise:
Even a limited set of exercise and stretches involving the back for a few days a week will do a sea of good to your body. While exercise can strengthen your muscles to aid them to improve their support system, stretching releases the built-up tension and improves flexibility. The core plays a huge role in supporting the spine and back, so please make sure to incorporate core exercises like planks.
In addition to the above, we advise you to avoid smoking, excessive drinking and focus on reducing the body weight if you put up a few pounds during the lockdown. Even after following all the above tips if you still experience lower back pain, then it might be a case of an inherent spinal condition like arthritis, herniated disc, sciatica, spondylitis, spondylosis or any other spinal problems which can be easily treated by Children and Adult Spinal Surgeon, Mr Jwalant S. Mehta.
Dr Mehta is an expert spine specialist in the UK with an excellent track record in lower back pain treatment and you can contact him here: Clinical secretary: Samantha Leavy +44 785 021 1939