Back & Neck Pain Prevention Home Office Ergonomics Guide Home Office Ergonomics Guide Overview Your Back Back Pain Exercises Anatomy General Tips Products Holistic Help Your Neck Neck Pain Exercises Anatomy General Tips Products Holistic Help Your Eyes Eye Strain Exercises Anatomy General Tips Products Your Shoulders Shoulder Pain Exercises Anatomy General Tips Products Your Wrists Wrist Pain Exercises Anatomy General Tips Products Your Hands Hand Pain Exercises Anatomy General Tips Products Your Hips Hip Pain Exercises Anatomy General Tips Products Your Knees Knee Pain Exercises Anatomy General Tips Products 10 Tips for Preventing Back Pain By Anne Asher, CPT facebook linkedin Anne Asher, ACE-certified personal trainer, health coach, and orthopedic exercise specialist, is a back and neck pain expert. Learn about our editorial process Anne Asher, CPT Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Huma Sheikh, MD on February 21, 2020 facebook twitter linkedin Huma Sheikh, MD, is a board-certified neurologist, specializing in migraine and stroke, and affiliated with Mount Sinai of New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Huma Sheikh, MD Updated on April 14, 2020 Print If you're experiencing back pain, or even a stiff neck, look to your lifestyle. The way you sleep, lift, and twist your body may be responsible. But preventing back pain may actually be the simplest way to deal with it. Follow these 10 tips—you'll feel better now and ward off any future problems. Dirima/Deposit Photos 1 Lift Safely Safe lifting involves using your legs to spare your back. Bend your knees, tighten your abdominal muscles, and keep the object being lifted close to your body. It is also a good idea to be aware of unsafe lifting techniques, so that you can avoid them. Unsafe lifting techniques usually involve positions that will cause you strain when you add a load to them. 2 Minimize and Avoid Twisting Motions The use of twisting motions should be carefully monitored and scaled back or eliminated as appropriate. When lifting heavy objects, twisting should be completely avoided. When doing heavy work, such as housework, try to keep twisting to a minimum too. In other activities, pay close attention to how you are moving your spine as well as any warning signs, such as pain or tightness, that may indicate trouble. Scale back on the twisting according to the warning signs your body gives you. 3 Drink Plenty of Water Our bodies are comprised of approximately 70 percent water. Enough water keeps us fluid, rather than stiff. Drinking plenty of water enhances the height of intervertebral disks, keeping them the healthy shock absorbers they are. Water is necessary for nearly every bodily process, so it's good to have in generous supply—at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses per day. It is almost impossible to drink too much water. 4 Stay Active and Strengthen Your Abs Exercise and activity keep the muscles of the spine strong. The most important muscles to strengthen to avoid back pain are the abdominals. Include stretching in your fitness program to avoid stiffness, which causes pain. Another reason to stay flexible is that stiff muscles are a precursor to injury. 5 Maintain a Healthy Weight Maintaining a healthy weight is generally an excellent way to prevent all kinds of diseases and discomforts. For the spine, body weight control avoids compression and loading of the intervertebral disks, prevents postural abnormalities (such as anterior pelvic tilt), and interrupts a sedentary lifestyle which can be responsible for stiff and/or weak muscles. 6 Research Sleeping Positions Finding a sleeping position that works for you can help you avoid placing unnecessary strains on your back or neck. Doctors tend to vary when recommending ideal sleep positions. So, trusting your comfort levels and using your own judgement are good accompaniments to their advice. 7 Warm-Up When Exercising When exercising, warm-ups are a must. Warm-up means 5-10 minutes of light aerobic activity just prior to the exercise session. Recommendations by experts vary as to whether the warm-up period should include stretching. The purpose of a warm-up is to gradually acclimate the muscles to a more intense activity level to prevent injury, and therefore pain. 8 Cool Down The cool down period after an exercise period must include stretching. During cool down, your muscles are still warm from exercising, so they are very receptive to stretching. Stretching will be less painful during cool down, as well. Stretching relieves muscle tightness, which is one cause of back pain. Stretching also helps to balance the action of muscles, enhancing ideal alignment and relieving joint strain. 9 Interrupt Long Periods of Sitting If you sit for long periods of time, force yourself to get up from your chair as much as your work environment will permit. Sitting loads the spine and compresses the disks, leading to disk problems. Slaving over a computer for long periods of time can also cause neck and posture problems, such as kyphosis. 10 Try a Holistic Approach Holistic bodywork techniques and systems are a great way to keep the structures of your spine tuned up for a lifetime.Try any one of there: Massage therapy Yoga Pilates Feldenkrais Chiropractics Acupuncture The 7 Best Back Braces of 2021 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit