Tips for Back care

A big proportion of us are bound to suffer from back problems sometime or the other during our lifetime. Some problems may be due to basic disease of the spine or as a result of some accident but majority of us suffer from back problems due to faulty posture, sedentary lifestyle, lack of abdominal strength. Here are some helpful Tips to keep your Back Healthy.

Never lift anything light or heavy with your legs straight. Always bend your knees when lifting something. Keep the weight close to your body. This way the work is done by big muscles of your leg and not the small muscles of back.
When rising from your chair always have one foot in front of the other. Slide your butt to the edge and, with your back vertical and chin in, use your thigh muscles and arms to push yourself straight up.
Sitting posture in your chair is extremely important as you spend a large part of your day sitting. Back straight with your abdominal muscles tightened. Sit consciously and not let your body droop.
	If you stand in one place for a prolong period of time as when doing dishes, prop one foot up on a box or a short stool. This will relieve some of the back tension.
	When standing your knees should be slightly bent with feet pointing straight. While standing the posture should be maintained mainly by the muscles of the upper leg ( quadriceps )
Sleeping surface should be firm. It helps in back care. If possible sleep on one side or the other. Sleeping on the stomach can cause tightness in the lower back. If you sleep on your back keeping a pillow under your knees will keep lower back flat and minimize tension.