The Sunday News
Lee-Ann Hall
LOW back pain (LBP) is the most prevalent muscular-skeletal condition. It is more prevalent in the elder population and sportspersons. There are many causes of low back pain but the management is important to alleviate pain and hinder its progression.
The biggest implication on LBP is how we do day to day tasks that involve house chores and the different jobs that people have. Whether you spend the day in the office in sustained postures for long hours or you carry heavy objects the back is still affected. Here are some tips to help you watch over your back to prevent long term complications.
1 Back care in the Workplace
Many professions require long hours of sitting especially in front of a computer. Here are some guidelines to remember which will help to protect your back:
– Head — should be drawn back. Ears, shoulder and hips should be aligned.
– Eyes — level with top (1/3) part of the screen
– Neck — Keep neck in an upright position
– Elbows — At sides of the body. Slightly more than 90 degrees bend at the elbow
– Chair — fully adjustable with most of the spine supported
– Chair height — Hips slightly more than 90 degrees. Feet flat on the floor
2 Back care with lifting heavy objects
Firstly what is causing the pain with lifting objects?
– Repetitive lifting over a long period of time eg everyday at work
– Twisting while lifting — always try to maintain the same direction
– Poor lifting tenchniques
– Lifting above shoulders
– Poor body conditioning
How to lift
3 Pause Exercises
I would recommend that every 30 mins stand up from the chair and take a quick break. “Pause” like the name implies means stop what you are doing for a short while and do a few stretches.
“Take care of your busy body, you owe that to your family.’’
