Bad posture, being overweight, and not getting sufficient physical exercise slowly cause our spine to deteriorate. An estimated 80 percent of the population in developed countries have backache problems at some time in their life.
A Spanish Kovacs Clinic, which specializes in spinal problems, recommends the following simple tips on how to take care of your backache:
1. Sleeping Posture
Sleep on your side with the spine straight.
2. Seating Posture
When seated, support your back against the back of the chair.
3. When Using a computer
At a computer, keep your shoulders in their natural position.
4. When Blending
If you have to bend down, bend your knees rather than your back.
5. When Standing
If you have to stand still for a long time, put weight on one leg while resting your other foot on a stool or step.
6. Exercises
Exercises like walking, swimming, and bicycling, such exercise should be done while keeping the back upright.
7. Control your weight
Controlling one’s weight is another important step towards relieving backache as excess weight greatly increases the stress on soft back tissues.
8. Avoid Soft cushioned seats
Those with sedentary occupations should take a break to stand up every hour. Soft cushioned seats should be avoided and position should be changed as often as possible.
9. Use A firm Mattress
Persons with back problems should sleep on a firm mattress on their sides with knees bent at right angles to the torso.
10. Take Vitamin C
Vitamin C has proved helpful in relieving low-back pain and averting spinal disc operations.
11. Apply heat
Hot fomentation, alternate sponging, or application of radiant heat to the back will also give immediate relief.
12. Avoid fatty food and tobacco
Patients should avoid fatty, spicy, and fried foods, curd, sweetmeats, sugar, and condiments as well as tea and coffee. Those who smoke and take tobacco in any form should give it up completely.
13. Eat more of carrot, cabbage, cucumber etc
The diet of those suffering from backache should consist of a salad of raw vegetables such as tomato, carrot, cabbage, cucumber, radish, lettuce and at least two steamed or lightly cooked vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, spinach, and plenty of fruits, all except bananas. The patients should have four meals daily. They may take fruits and milk during breakfast, steamed vegetables and whole-wheat chapattis during lunch, fresh fruits or fruit juice in the evening, and a bowl of raw salad and sprouts during dinner.
