Back pain can be very unpleasant and stop you from functioning properly and doing your regular day-to-day activities. Often, this isn’t something you can resolve just with painkillers, and if you want to get rid of back pain for good, you’ll need to make some changes in your life. That said, the following tips can help to improve your posture and reduce back pain.
Use a Back Brace to Ensure Proper Posture
Bad posture is very commonly associated with back pain. Walking or sitting in the wrong position for a longer period of time can cause major changes in your torso that can later be the cause for other health conditions among which is chronic back pain. And let’s not forget to mention how unappealing bad posture looks. Correcting it sooner rather than later will save you the trouble of dealing with serious complications.
Using a back brace is great for correcting hunching and rounded shoulders and overall improving posture. Additionally, it can also offer your upper body much-needed support and eliminate the pressure on your spine which helps lower the pain you feel. Unfortunately, many believe that back braces are unappealing and feel awkward to wear.
But this couldn’t be further from the truth. If you choose wisely, it can be really comfortable to wear, easy to put on and easy to wash and maintain. That said, when you’re looking to buy a back brace for back pain, make sure it’s made from materials that won’t irritate your skin in one way or another and which you can wear your clothes without anyone noticing. The back brace should be lightweight, soft and padded and washable in a washing machine.
A proper back brace for back pain should be the type of brace you can work with, workout with, casually watch TV or do your everyday chores. It should allow your arms to swing and move freely. The brace for back should be flexible with added stretch to provide you with a full range of motion at the same time correcting your bad posture.
Although back braces come in many sizes, make sure you pick one that has adjustable fastening tapes for easier fitting and comfort. That way you can further customise and adjust the tape according to your needs and enjoy while the brace works its magic.
Consider Investing in Ergonomic Furniture and Accessories
In addition to using a back support brace, ergonomic furniture can also help correct your bad posture. Let’s start with explaining what ergonomic furniture. All the products that are designed to be comfortable, functional and support body movement represent ergonomic furniture. Ergonomic furniture is widely used in companies and of course, you can buy ergonomic furniture for your home office too.
Sit stand desks have many benefits over traditional desks. They are adjustable, allowing you to comfortably switch from a seated to a standing position when doing your work and can easily be placed on any surface. Along with it, you can get a new ergonomic chair. Ergonomic chairs support your back during the long hours of sitting. They can also rotate 360 degrees and allow you a full range of motion while helping you get rid of the boring back pain caused by sitting for a long time on a chair that offers zero support.
In addition to the desk and chair, you can also get an ergonomic mouse, an ergonomic keyboard and an ergonomic footrest. Do not underestimate the power of a good footrest. It gives support to your feet, reducing any fatigue and easing the pain and discomfort you might be feeling in your legs, hips and also back and neck. It’s especially important for people that sit with their legs crossed.
Exercises That Can Improve Your Posture and Relieve Pain
You can also try to be as much physically active as possible. Many exercises are great at solving your bad posture problems. Some of the exercises can even be performed while sitting, so you can combine working with exercising and use your time effectively.
The so-called child’s pose is a type of yoga pose/exercise you can do on a mat and helps to stretch and lengthen your spine, glutes and hamstrings. It also helps with removing the tension in the neck and lower back. You should do a couple of repetitions while breathing deeply and relaxing.
Next, you can do a forward fold. Just stand straight on a mat and then bend over as much as you can and try to touch your ankles. This pose/exercise is known to release tension in your spine, stretch your legs and hips and open and lengthen the entire backside of your body.
The cat-cow is a widely known pose that stretches and massages your spine at the same time. It helps relieve all the tension you have in your torso, shoulders and neck at the same time promoting circulation. You position yourself on your hands and knees and then start bending your spine back and forth for at least one minute.
Similar to the cat-cow is the standing cat-cow which you do standing up and slightly bending your knees. It can help loosen the tightness in your back, hips and glutes.
The chest opener is a really good shoulder exercise. You perform it while standing and all you do is stretch your arms backwards towards the floor. Don’t forget to breathe deeply. You should repeat at least 10 times.
The regular and high plank exercises are also great for relieving pain and stiffness all over your body and help you strengthen your shoulders.
Then again, if you don’t feel comfortable doing exercises at home you can always go for the physical therapy sessions. Physical therapy consists of exercises, professional massage, ultrasound therapy and TENS therapy. Physical therapy can help you both with the pain and correct your bad posture. You’ll be under the surveillance of a professional the whole time, which reduces the risk of injuries.
