5 Strategies To Minimize Back Pain

Back pain is something that commonly plagues many people, both men, and women. However, recent studies have shown that women are more likely to experience back pain than men. This may be due to various factors, such as women typically have less muscle tone and have a different center of gravity than men. In this post, we will discuss some strategies to minimize back pain. We will also provide tips on preventing back pain from occurring in the first place.

Strengthen Your Core

One of the best ways to minimize back pain is to strengthen the muscles in your core. This includes the muscles in your abdomen, back, and pelvis. Strengthening these muscles can help support your spine and take pressure off your lower back. There are a variety of exercises that you can do to improve your core, such as crunches, sit-ups, and planks. You can also use exercise equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells, or bands to add resistance to make the exercises more challenging.

Work on Your Posture 

Another way to reduce or prevent back pain is to focus on correcting your posture. Poor posture puts unnecessary strain on your spine and muscles, leading to imbalance and pain. When you are sitting, make sure to sit up straight and not slouch or hunch over. Your ears, shoulders, and hips should align with each other, especially if you are working at a desk. When standing, avoid leaning to one side or the other. Instead, stand up straight and evenly distribute your weight on both feet, keeping good posture all the way up. Furthermore, if you have to lift something heavy off the ground, make sure to center your gravity and lift straight up with your legs taking the weight.

Have Proper Breast Support

For those of you who have larger breasts, make sure to wear a supportive bra whenever you are up. And do so while exercising or performing laborious activities. Specialty bra shops are great at fitting you with the proper size and style of bra for your figure. Doing this can reduce shoulder and neck tension, as well as back pain due to slouching.

Some women with extra-large breasts opt for reduction surgery. This type of surgery removes excess breast tissue and skin from the breasts, which can help reduce the amount of weight your chest and back have to support. This takes the pressure off your back and helps alleviate pain. Breast reduction surgery is usually considered a last resort option because it is major surgery with risks. However, breast reduction surgery may be an option if you are dealing with severe back pain that has not responded to other treatments.

Invest In a Good Mattress

The truth is that sleeping on an old, worn-out mattress could be a culprit causing chronic back pain. Your mattress should be no older than 8 years and be made of quality materials. Though everyone has varying preferences for their mattresses, I do recommend that it isn’t too soft. There needs to be a certain amount of firmness to provide adequate support for your spine. You can also consider getting a new pillow that is specific to your sleeping style. I have also used a pillow between my knees to take some of the pressure off my lower back. 

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy may be an option if you are dealing with chronic back pain. Sticking to a specific exercise plan can help stretch and strengthen your back muscles, which can help reduce pain. Physical therapy can also help improve your posture and help you manage exercise, chores, and even sleep. If you are interested in pursuing physical therapy, talk to your doctor about the options available.

Because there are so many causes of back pain, especially for women, we won’t all respond to the same strategies to minimize back pain. That said, I highly recommend working with your doctor to help you discover exactly what is happening and how to help it. I do know that by strengthening the muscles in your core, correcting your posture, and getting adequate rest, you can help to reduce or even prevent back pain. If you are dealing with severe back pain, breast reduction surgery or physical therapy may be an option. Talk to your doctor about what treatment options are available to you.

**** This post is strictly informational and is not meant to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Women’s lifelink, its owners, administrators, contributors, affiliates, vendors, authors, and editors do not claim that this information will diagnose, treat, or improve any condition or disease.