7 Tips to Prevent Back Injuries

The scene is familiar, you are helping a friend move into a new apartment and you bend to pick up a box of books. Next thing you know, you are experiencing back pain because of an avoidable back injury. It is estimated that four out of five people will experience back pain during their lifetime. However, there are many ways to help prevent injuries to your back. In this post, I will cover seven tips that help prevent back injuries.

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight

The back is a weight-bearing structure and any extra weight we carry on our upper body will cause added stress to our spine. This added stress to the spine can lead to degeneration and back pain.

2. Maintain a Strong Core

The stronger your core muscles are, the less stress and instability your spine will experience. Focus on strengthening your abdominal, flanks, and lower back muscles to decrease stress to your spine.

3. Improve Bone Health

This strategy is often overlooked when it comes to spine health. As we age, our bones become softer and more likely to fracture. This is a condition called osteoporosis. However, there are things we can do to improve our bone health. Make sure to get the recommended amount of calcium and vitamin D in your diet through food or supplementation. This will help your bones maintain their strength.

4. Focus on Sleep and Emotional Health

One factor of overall well-being that cannot be overlooked is emotional and mental health. Studies have shown that patients with depression and/or anxiety not only experience more episodes of back pain, but they also have more severe symptoms. Sleep is extremely important to your health as it can affect your likelihood of injury or accident. Lack of sleep also directly affects your mental health. Getting adequate sleep and maintaining your mental health are key in improving your physical health.

5. Avoid Lifting Heavy Loads

One of the most common causes of acute low back pain is lifting heavy objects. When possible, you should avoid heavy lifting by yourself and instead ask a friend/coworker to help ease the load and stress on your back. When lifting heavy objects, remember to lift with your legs, as opposed to bending at the waist to pick something up.

6. Be Aware of Prolonged Sitting

Periods of prolonged sitting have been associated with the development of back pain. Unfortunately, many people have a desk job that requires sitting at a computer for hours each day. To help minimize the risk of back pain, ensure that you are sitting in an upright position with good posture. Also, try to avoid slouching in your chair. Another alternative is to utilize a height-variable desk. These desks can be raised and lowered to allow for both standing and sitting during the workday. Working in a standing position for part of your day will help you preserve your back and tone your legs and your core muscles at the same time!

7. Smoking

Smoking will reduce the flow of blood into your spine and surrounding muscles. It will make it more likely for you to develop a back injury. Smoking also affects your ability to heal from a back injury which will cause longer recovery times. Quitting smoking is hard, but there are many resources and strategies available to help.

These tips can help you keep your spine and the surrounding muscles healthy and strong. However, back injuries can still occur. If you are suffering from neck or back problems, call our office at (828) 757-6434 to schedule an appointment. We are here to help you.

About Jose San Miguel, MD, PhD

Jose San Miguel, MD, PhD, is a spine surgeon at UNC Ortho. He is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon supported by a highly-trained staff. Dr. San Miguel will offer minimally-invasive procedures performed with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. Each patient receives a personalized approach to treatment and because most pain in the spine requires no surgery, we employ a number of non-surgical treatments to help you recover. However, when surgery is needed, we provide accurate and convenient surgical services.  

UNC Ortho provides a full scope of orthopedic services to patients in Caldwell County and beyond. Our skilled providers offer care in sports medicine, hand and upper extremity, foot and ankle, joint replacement and general orthopedics. If you believe you would benefit from care at UNC Ortho, please call (828) 757-5074