Nutrition
Good nutrition is essential for tissue growth and repair. Aches, pains, and inflamed joints can be caused, or exacerbated by poor diet, and nutritional deficits.
Diets low in good fats, such as those in olive oil, oily fish, nuts & seeds prevent the body from repairing quickly and effectively.
Vitamins B, C, D & K and the minerals calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc are also essential to the bodies repair process.
Diets poor in calcium can also cause osteoporosis, where the bones become weak & brittle, losing bone density.
Obesity, caused by poor diet, also puts the back under additional stress, putting supporting muscles and joints under additional strain.
Try cutting out calorie dense, nutritionally poor, foods such as sugars, and starchy carbs coming from refined white flour.
Enjoy a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables, protein, and good fats such as those from fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds.
Water
Between each vertebra in the human spine is a cartilage disc with a fluid centre. These discs are the bodies' shock absorbers with every step we take. They cushion movement of the spine.
The inner fluid in each disc is predominately water. If the body is dehydrated, insufficient fluid in the discs will cause additional strain, leaving the body at risk of pain, swelling, even ruptured or herniated discs.
Some research has even found that pain can be reduced by as much as 50% through proper hydration.
Try drinking at least 1 litre of good quality water for every 50llbs of bodyweight.
Posture
Poor posture can create or exacerbate back pain, particularly in the lower back.
The ideal postural alignment should see ankle, knee, hip, shoulder & ear on top of each other. The more deviations away from this correct posture, the more the likelihood of pain syndromes developing up the spine.
Practice correct postural positioning in the mirror, till your body learns corrects positioning. Stand with feet hip width apart, and the knees "soft". Keep the front of the legs long, and the bum gently squeezed. Keep the torso tall, with the shoulder blades pulled back, to prevent you slumping forwards, making sure that the head does not migrate forwards.
Changing positions regularly when either sitting, standing or lying down can also help. As it prevents muscle groups straining and taking on too much load for lengthy periods of time, particularly when the body is in bad posture.
Stretch
Many postural issues can be caused by tightness in key muscles groups, which pull the body out of alignment.
Our sedentary lifestyles create imbalances between key muscle groups in the body.
For example, tight hip flexors at the front of the thighs, frequently caused by lengthy periods of sitting, can pull the body forwards. This can have a further detrimental effect on posture, as muscles in key groups such as the glutes may become weak, causing the back to take additional strain in key movements. Also, the pull of tight hip flexors pull down the front of the pelvis, bringing the body into anterior tilt, leading to lordosis, a common contributor to lower back pain.
Further up the spine, slumping forwards can cause tightness in the pectorals and other muscles such as the anterior deltoids, pulling the body to collapse forwards & inwards, weakening the muscles in the middle back.
In addition, the repetitive tasks of using mouse and/or keyboard, takes the upper back muscles (upper trapezius and levator scapulae) through small ranges of motion, this subsequently produces toxic waste products such as lactic acid and urea. Without sufficient circulation, stimulation and exercise in the middle and upper back, waste products can build up, causing knots, and general aches and pain. A massage will help, but is simply treating the symptom not the cause.
Try stretching out the pectorals and the quads & hip flexors on a daily basis, to help the body to progress into good posture.
Pec stretch - stand with one arm against a door frame or wall corner, step forwards till you feel a good stretch in the front of the shoulder/chest. Hold for 10 - 15 seconds.
Quad & hip flexors stretch - standing on one leg, the other leg bent from the knee, grab the foot behind. Keeping the knees in alignment, squeeze the bum to drive the pelvis forward to hit the hip flexors. Hold for 10 - 15 seconds.
Strengthen
Where muscles may have become tight through poor posture or lack of exercise, and a sedentary lifestyle, opposing muscles may become week, leaving parts of the back weak or taking too much strain.
For example, if tight hip flexors are pulling the pelvis into an anterior tilt, this can prevent the glute muscles from working, instead the lower back takes too much strain, becoming tight or over-facilitated, leaving it prone to strain and injury.
Try a simple glute activation exercise, lying down on your side, pushing the whole of the back of the body against a wall. Bend the knees in, whilst keeping the feet against the wall. Squeeze the bum to open out the top leg, the knee being pulled back towards the wall. Hold the position for 10 seconds before lowering the leg down, repeat 5 times. Then do ten repetitions, holding at the top for just one second each time. Note - If the lower back is overactive, then make sure that the back does not move away from the wall, thus preventing it from "interfering" or taking over in the movement. This exercise works extremely well, after the stretches above, giving the body space to achieve these movements.
For middle back weakness, lay face down with the forehead supported to inline with the rest of the spine with a pillow. Take the arms out to the side & away from the body in a "crucifix" position. Keeping the head still, lift the arms up behind you, squeezing the shoulder blades back. Repeat 20 - 30 times.
Mobilise
Increasing spinal mobility can help alleviate common back pains and aches, gentle spinal twists can provide some immediate relief, as well as long term benefits. Lack of spinal mobility in one area of the back, can lead to pain syndromes in other areas of the spine. Try yoga or Pilates lessons to help increase spinal mobility. Simple twists you can try at home are lying on your back with arms out to the side. Bend the knees in with the feet still in contact with the floor. Take both knees over to the right, and gently turn the head to the left. Rest here for a few moments, before repeating on the other side.
Note - It is always advisable to seek medical advice before embarking on a new exercise or diet regimen.
No comments:
Post a Comment