Back Pain

Has this ever happened to you?  You are on your way out the door for a day of shopping or to meet a friend for lunch.  You bend over to pick up your keys and your back gives out on you.  Yo u cannot move and your back screams at you in pain as if to say, what the @#$% did you just do to me??”  If so, you are not alone.  Millions of Americans suffer from chronic back pain on a daily basis.  Many people are forced to miss work due to back pain which could result in loss of current or potential income and in some cases, termination of employment due to the nature of one’s job.  What about when minor or recurring back pain causes you to miss out on a scheduled vacation?  Being stuck on the couch with back pain is a vacation that you won’t soon forget.

So what can you do to avoid these types of scenarios?  There are several things you can do to help prevent an injury from occurring that are very simple.  “Lift with the legs, Hercules!”  This seems too simple to be true, but it isn’t.  Back pain prevention is as simple as remembering to bend your knees while leaning over or lifting anything that has some weight to it.  Lift with your legs, always.  Be sure to stay hydrated.  When muscles are dehydrated, they become sore, achy and will not perform as well as they should.  Stretching is a great way to prevent minor muscle pain and injury.  There are recent studies that prove Red Light Therapy can ease minor muscle aches by breaking up the lactic acid in the muscles.  Lactic acid is what causes soreness in the muscles after exercising if you do not take the time to stretch the muscle out. 

Remember:  to avoid back injuries you should be mindful while bending, always lift with the legs, take time to stretch, and stay hydrated throughout the day.  If you currently have back pain, try using Red Light Therapy to help ease the pain and get you back on your feet.